The music industry joined nationwide calls to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol for his "coup d'état," calling Yoon's supporters "forces of treason" for opposing his ouster.

A coalition of 762 musicians, music producers and others working in the Korean music industry, whose name tentatively translates to the Korean Musicians' Alliance, released a statement on Friday evening calling for the impeachment of Yoon after his emergency martial law declaration that came on Dec. 3.


The list, compiled between Sunday through Friday, included some veteran singers such as Yoon Jong-shin and Lee Eun-mee, composer Yoon Il-sang and lyricist Kim Eana.

"On the night of Dec. 3, our everyday lives were destroyed by Yoon Suk Yeol, who disrupted the country's constitutional order and damaged the value of the separation of legal, administrative and judicial powers by sending military forces to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission," reads the statement.

"The angered people have taken to the streets in front of the National Assembly to protect free democracy, waving their lightsticks and singing idols' songs to call for punishment for the forces of the coup d’état. Our music is echoing not only in the plaza but also around the world. We, the people of music, lament this ironic situation."

"The brand value of K-culture, heightened by the artists of Korea including musicians, is nosediving due to the politics of Korea," continued the statement. "We demand that the impeachment motion be passed at the National Assembly today. We will also stand among the citizens until the country is normalized after the Constitutional Court approves the impeachment."

The statement follows a string of outcries by artists of different cultural mediums, namely film and drama.

The film industry released a second list of signatories on Friday, which includes the director of the film “12.12: The Day” (2023), Kim Sung-su. The Korea TV & Radio Writers Association issued a statement calling for the impeachment of the president on the same day.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]