Angma's post circulated widely online, mobilizing ordinary people (especially Korean youth) to demand SOFA reform and an apology from President George W. Bush with peaceful candlelight protests in Kwanghwamun.
According to Kookmin and Yeungnam University researchers Sujin Choi and Han Woo Park, the three stages of Internet activism are the organization of members in networks, the formation of a collective identity, and tactical actions (petitions and letter-writing) which mobilize people in on- and offline movements.
Internet activism, however, has opened doors for victims of sexual assault, empowered youth to demand justice and responsibility from the Korean government, and played a role in collective action.
[4] The Internet has become a potent tool for grassroots activism in South Korea, facilitating the on- and offline mobilization of citizens who want to shape the political landscape and providing a social space for voicing opinions and forging alliances.
When the government announced that it would crack down on the protest organizers, Internet users forged alliances and began the Campaign for Ten Million Arrests by mass-posting on the National Police Agency bulletin board.
[6] Korean youth in the post-authoritarian and neo-liberal era found casual political participation possible in cyberspace; because they grew up during the early expansion of Internet culture in Korea, they were technologically knowledgeable and accustomed to expressing opinions online.
[1] Chopae was organized by a Twitter user known as @parknife (a previous supporter of President Roh Moo-hyun), who shared news and content in the online community with tweets criticizing the G20, Lee Myung-bak’s administration, conservative daily newspapers and Samsung with hashtags such as #chopaegongsa, #weapon and #change of government.
On- and offline activism are connected, with protestors using specific words and phrases (such as "uncomfortable courage") which are search terms on Twitter to increase exposure of the movement.
Suh was followed by a number of others who felt empowered to go public with their own stories, drawing more media attention and galvanizing young girls and women to participate in hashtag activism.
The movement quickly gained momentum and expanded to the use of the hashtag #MeToo across the Internet and a series of protests, which led to legal and organizational reforms to address sexual violence.
[10] Students at over 65 South Korean schools spoke out in 2018 about sexual abuse by teachers using the hashtag #SchoolMeToo, identifying fundamental problems in the education system and building solidarity among victims.
The Megalia movement focused on criticizing state patriarchy and advocating for the eradication of non-consensual digital pornography with strategies including "trolling, linguistic violence, parodies of misogynistic discourse, and flaming.
[8] In Korea, online activism in support of legislative reform to prohibit discrimination against individuals based on sexual orientation has faced opposition from conservatives and Christian organizations.
Some studies have found that the Internet helps mobilize ordinary citizens for political activism and form collective identities, providing a space for open discussion of socio-political issues.
[9] Other scholars are more skeptical about the effectiveness of the Internet in bringing real change to government policies; online LGBTQ activists, in particular, have made little progress in reforming legal institutions due to their lack of access to traditional media.