Argo Workflows semaphore with value 0
Quick fix: after applying the ConfigMap change, cycle the workflow-controller pod. That will force it to reload semaphore state.
I couldn't reproduce your exact issue. After using kubectl edit to set the semaphore to 0, any newly submitted workflows remained Pending.
I did encounter an issue where using kubectl edit to bump up the semaphore limit did not automatically kick off any of the Pending workflows. Cycling the workflow controller pod allowed the workflows to start running again.
Besides using the quick fix, I'd recommend submitting an issue. Synchronization is a newer feature, and it's possible it's not 100% robust yet.