Koreans in Australia, political mobilisation, and the candlelight protests in Melbourne

The candlelight demonstrations, which lasted for almost six months from October 2016 through to March 2017, attracted near-unanimous support across South Korea's political spectrum. By some estimates up to 17 million Koreans directly participated in the demonstrations, and many more again closely followed the unfolding events through their involvement in online debates and discussions. This paper investigates the degree to which the demonstrations resonated with overseas Koreans. Its primary source of data is drawn from first-hand interviews with Koreans in Melbourne, and its secondary data are based on a review of relevant articles in the Korean-language media in Australia.