A rally calling for the resignation of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration is held at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Who could have imagined that a K-pop debut track from 2007 would evolve into a rallying cry for political change?

“Into the New World,” the debut single by Girls’ Generation, has reemerged as a protest anthem amid South Korea’s growing discontent with President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared the ill-fated martial law earlier this week.

On Thursday, the song was sung across candlelit rallies on the steps of the National Assembly in Seoul, where demonstrators waved flags and held candles, demanding the president’s resignation.

Hours later, it echoed through Seoul National University’s campus as students gathered to call for the president's ouster.

The track’s lyrics, originally penned to inspire hope and perseverance, resonate on a deeper level when viewed through a political lens.

Lines like “Our rough road is before our eyes. Unknown future and walls. I won't change, I can't give up,” and “I say goodbye to sadness that is repeated in our world” feel tailor-made for movements demanding justice and reform.

This isn’t the first time “Into the New World” has been at the heart of political protests.

The song gained its protest status during the 2016 demonstrations at Ewha Womans University.

Students there rallied against their school’s plan to introduce a government-sponsored degree program for working women without prior college experience. They accused the university of prioritizing profits over educational values.

A viral video from those protests, featuring students singing the song in unison, cemented its place as a symbol of resilience and solidarity.

Yuri, a member of Girls’ Generation, later shared her reaction to seeing the song’s newfound role in activism.

"I watched the video several times, and I was so moved that I cried," she said. "It was one of the most fulfilling moments of my career."