For many older South Koreans, the name "white skull squad" harks back to a dark time of violence and repression.
It was first used in the 1950s, when the country's first president, Rhee Syngman, a hardline anti-communist, used political thugs to silence opposition as he discarded term limits, as prescribed in the constitution.
His grasp for absolute power came to an end in 1960 amid large-scale protests.
Just over two decades later, South Korea entered another phase of political upheaval and the phrase "white skull squad" returned.
This time it wasn't used to describe civilians, but rather a special unit of the police force tasked with using violence to quell pro-democracy student protests.
The officers donned iconic white helmets when they rushed into a protest to pick off easy or high-profile targets to be arrested, and they intimidated anyone left behind.
The squad was finally disbanded a decade later after officers fatally beat two university students.
"It was very, very brutal," said public diplomacy expert, Wang Son Taek, from Sogang University.
Now, as the country endures a third phase of political unrest following another presidential grasp for power, the "white skull squad" has been reborn.
The latest iteration is a group of activists who donned the infamous white helmets during a stand-off with police.
While the group, officially called the Korea Anti-Communism Young Warriors, explicitly states it does not support violence, it does hold far-right views, fuelled by conspiracy theories and a disdain for South Korea's left-leaning opposition.
The movement is also buoyed by the election of US President Donald Trump and the tactics of his MAGA movement.
"We predict that South Korea will become a one-party dictatorship like the Chinese Communist Party," the group's vice-president Peter Lee told the ABC.
"We think freedom will completely disappear, just like in Hong Kong.
"Our purpose is to protect freedom and Korean citizens from anti-state forces that are destroying our constitutional order, rigging elections, and trampling on democracy."
MAGA vibes and conspiracy theories
South Korea is one of the great success stories of the past century.
From the ruins of the Korean War, the country broke free of its authoritarian rule and abject poverty to become a wealthy, technologically advanced democracy.
But its people were reminded of its past when hawkish Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in early December, citing, without evidence, a need to combat North Korean forces.
The decree might have lasted only a few hours, after parliament voted it down, but it landed the president in a world of trouble.
The Constitutional Court is about to decide whether his impeachment is upheld, sending Koreans back to the polls, while criminal charges of insurrection could see Mr Yoon jailed for a long time, including life.
Despite his troubles, Mr Yoon has doubled down on his allegations about communist infiltrators, telling the final day of his impeachment trial that "external forces, including North Korea, along with anti-state elements within our society" are "working together to seriously threaten our national security and sovereignty".
Outside the court proceedings, Mr Yoon's supporters have carried signs saying "CCP Out" as well as "Stop The Steal" in an obvious nod to MAGA.
On the weekend, some 50,000 of Mr Yoon's supporters flocked to the capital, celebrating his release after a court ruled his arrest in January was invalid.
There is now concern about violence and rioting if the Constitutional Court upholds Mr Yoon's impeachment, with police looking to deploy special operations units, and nearby schools closed down.
Patrol cars have been stationed near the homes of judges.
An underlying conspiracy that draws many of these protesters together is that last year's parliament elections, which further strengthened the opposition's hold on parliament, were fraudulent and the opposition is a proxy of North Korea or China.
Central to their arguments are photos that show ballot papers that are immaculately stacked, without any crease marks or crinkles, implying they were not genuinely cast.
"Yoon Seok Yeol is trying to reveal the election fraud caused by the Chinese Communist Party," Mr Lee said.
The conspiracy claims are widely discredited, including by the judiciary, with many experts calling them shameful, nonsensical, extreme and even dangerous, as they seek to undermine the functioning of democracy, especially the National Election Commission.
But the claims and support for Mr Yoon have gained traction during the impeachment trial.
A recent poll showed support for Mr Yoon's impeachment had dropped from 75 to 57 per cent, while 40 per cent of respondents did not trust the Constitutional Court.
Perhaps most notable has been a surge in support for Mr Yoon among younger voters, who are latching onto the anti-communist rhetoric, something that typically only resonated with older voters.
Mr Wang said he was concerned that MAGA-style tactics had been gaining ground in South Korea.
"A lot of people now talk and act very aggressively," he said.
"These things couldn't be imagined before MAGA came to our society. It's a sad, sad story."
White skulls want US intervention
The Korean Anti-Communism Young Warrior group boats a leadership team of about 30 people and a wider network of 300.
Most of the members are reportedly aged in their 20s and 30s.
For now, it is not seeking to expand, pushing a narrative of quality over quantity.
"We're moving forward with just a small elite force," Mr Lee said.
How to deal with the rise of the young fringe groups is debated within Mr Yoon's own party.
In January, a senior member of the People Power Party introduced the group as the "white skull squad" during a press conference but apologised the following day.
"The name symbolises bad things," Mr Wang said.
"The enemy of democracy, the symbol of the state violence, the symbol of military dictatorship."
For now, the Korea Anti-Communism Young Warrior continues to embrace its colloquial name of "white skull squad", and draws its own parallels with the 1950s version under president Rhee Syngman.
It refuses to accept any future elections will be free and fair, calling for the United States to intervene.
"The 'Syngman Rhee' spirit refers to protecting against communist invasions from China and North Korea during the Korean War," Mr Lee said.
In January, pro-Yoon supporters stormed the Western District Court after it extended Mr Yoon's detention, leading to the arrest of more than 40 people.
But Mr Wang said he believed it was an aberration, a "wake-up call", and was unlikely to be repeated.
He said the next few months would be turbulent, with "fierce" political battles, but any violence would be "small scale" — at most.
And then after a few months, if Mr Yoon was impeached, Mr Wang said the opposition would likely win the next election, and cooler heads would finally prevail.
"We saw the political turmoil in 1980 and 1987 but it was kind of military leadership," he said.
"From then on, we don't have that kind of disorder. Korean people are famous for rules and regulations. We keep rules and regulations."
