Conservative youth groups in Seoul, South Korea, organized memorial sites for mourners to honor the legacy of commentator and activist Charlie Kirk in the days following his assassination, assembling the largest one yet on Monday before the iconic Sungnyemun Gate.
Kirk was assassinated before a crowd of nearly 3,000 people on Wednesday while speaking at an event meant to foster civil debate. He was the founder of the conservative youth engagement organization Turning Point USA and was on a nationwide tour of college campuses branded the “American Comeback Tour.” Kirk became a fixture on political social media for making public appearances in which he encouraged ordinary people who identified as left wing to challenge his beliefs and debate in good faith.
Kirk died after being shot in the neck by a man identified by law enforcement as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. Reports citing friends of Robinson describe him as “pretty left on everything” and indicate he was in a romantic relationship with a man who identified as transgender. Kirk was 31 and leaves behind his wife, Erika, and two children.
In addition to energizing conservative youth in America through Turning Point, Kirk regularly commented on international affairs and offered Turning Point’s support to like-minded groups around the world advocating free speech and conservative values. A week before his death, he made his first visit to South Korea, effusively praising the country for its cleanliness and low crime rate.
Kirk’s words resonated with conservatives in South Korea, who have assembled in the past week to mourn his passing and honor his legacy. At the Sungnyemun Gate on Monday, conservatives linked to the youth group Freedom University assembled a memorial area for individuals to leave notes of love and appreciation to Kirk. Mourners left messages in both English and Korean.
“Rest in peace and God’s hands will help your family and you. Your voice will be resonated across the world; inspiring many young conservative patriots in South Korea. Thank you and God Bless you,” one message read.
“You are a hero of freedom,” read another.
“You just made a legacy, thank you Charlie, God bless South Korea, God Bless America,” another message read.
The left-wing Korean newspaper Hankyoreh noted that the memorial assembled on Monday was formidable and claimed that it “baffled” foreigners visiting the tourist site. It nonetheless shared the peaceful messages left at the site, praying for the Kirk family and thanking him for “awaken[ing] the importance of political participation and responsibility and spread[ing] the values of freedom and democracy around the world.”
“Around the table, signs were erected with English words such as ‘We are Charlie Kirk’ and ‘True freedom will definitely win,’” the leftist newspaper noted. “Mourners stuck post-it notes on the sign with phrases such as ‘Charlie Kirk is the protector of freedom’ and ‘Make Korea great again.’ Some people dressed up in black and left bouquets of flowers behind.”
Freedom University had organized a separate memorial honoring Kirk at the statue of Gen. Douglas MacArthur at the site of the Incheon landings, which Kirk had visited a week before his killing.
Freedom University is a conservative youth group that has enthusiastically supported impeached former President Yoon Suk-yeol and regularly organizes protests against increasing communist Chinese influence in the country. In August, following the replacement of Yoon with leftist President Lee Jae-myung, police in Seoul called members of Freedom University in for questioning for organizing a protest against Chinese communism in which someone allegedly tore up a Chinese flag featuring the image of genocidal dictator Xi Jinping and the Chinese ambassador to Seoul.
Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) also honored Charlie Kirk last week. PPP Supreme Council member Kim Min-soo offered condolences to the family during public remarks and honored Kirk as “a voice that passionately advocated for the freedom of South Korea and the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.”
Kirk visited South Korea in early September. The Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo published an article on Monday by An Jun-hyen — the last journalist to have formally interviewed Kirk outside of speaking engagements as part of his campus tour.
“Kirk’s provocative yet humorous rhetoric captivated listeners. He joked about buying ‘a truckload of Korean cosmetics to look younger,’” An wrote, recalling:
Among his unprinted remarks, his “four great blessings in life” stood out. Becoming a Christian, entering politics, meeting President Donald Trump, and — above all — building a family with a loving spouse and two children. As a husband and father, he urged, “Get married and have many children. That’s the key to happiness.” His words revealed a warmth beneath his political convictions.
Kirk enthusiastically praised South Korea during the September 8 edition of the Charlie Kirk show, referring to Seoul as an example for America’s big cities.
“As soon as you walk out of the hotel, there’s no bums, there’s no people asking you for money, they don’t really put up with graffiti at all… I walked 6 miles all the way throughout downtown Seoul, South Korea,” Kirk detailed. “They take pride and responsibility over their public spaces… the amount of filth, crime, and violence that we put up with is insane.”
Kirk posted videos of himself at the MacArthur statue in the middle of the night to prove his point that crime in Seoul is not a major concern:
Kirk also visited Seoul to attend a conservative event titled, “Build Up Korea,” which he described as heavily influenced by Turning Point USA:
“They love America — whether it be the pyrotechnics, the lights, the intro videos,” he said on his program.
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