Why are Yoon's supporters waving American flags?

As South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faced arrest on the morning of Jan. 3 following his failed martial law attempt a month earlier, protesters rallying in his support drew global attention — not just for their fiery chants, but also for their prominent display of the American stars and stripes alongside South Korea's Taegeukgi flag.

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As perplexing as it may be to some, to many conservative supporters in South Korea, the American flag has long served as a powerful emblem of anti-communism and the country's enduring alliance with its main security partner.

A woman in her 60s, who identified herself as Ahn Young-mi, stood near a police barricade waving both the Korean and American flags. She said the flags represent the South Korea-U.S. alliance, as she expressed her hope that "the U.S. or Trump will come and save Yoon Suk Yeol."

Elsewhere in the crowd, a man who wished to remain anonymous handed out miniature American and Korean flags, saying that displaying them together "signifies the alliance" and gives protesters a sense of greater strength.