As South Korea descended into political chaos this week, one woman stood out for grabbing the barrel of a gun of an armed solider outside the country’s National Assembly Tuesday night.
Ahn Gwi-ryeong, 35, a former TV anchor who serves as spokesperson for the opposition Democratic party, has gone viral for her act of defiance, seen by many as brave.
However, she insists that putting her hand on the gun, in response to a short-lived declaration of martial law, was not particularly special or brave and that she was just doing anything she could to fight back against the declaration and deescalate the situation on both sides.
Ahn Gwi-ryeong is seen in this still image from video captured by JTBC grabbing an armed soldier’s gun.
JTBC
“My only thought was that I just needed to stop them. I pushed them away, shook them off, and did everything I could,” she told Reuters.
“A lot of people were fighting against martial law troops so I just thought I also had to stop them.”
Her act of defiance came hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a televised announcement — a shocking announcement to even those within his own party.
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Lawmakers descended on the National Assembly shortly after, preparing to vote down the order. Their aides piled furniture in front of a building entrance to stop soldiers from entering and formed human chains and sprayed soldiers with fire extinguishers.
“If the troops had entered and disrupted the vote, we wouldn’t have been able to lift martial law, and we wouldn’t be here today,” Ahn told CNN. “All I could think was that I must stop them. I felt like I was the last line standing in their way.”
Ahn can be seen shouting at the soldier in the clip: “Let go! Don’t you feel the shame?” After she grabs his rifle, the soldier steps back.
Asked if she knew it would gain that much attention, Ahn told Reuters: “There were many people braver than me who stood up to the martial law troops. There were people who even managed to stop armoured vehicles outside. So, I don’t think my actions were particularly special.”
Ahn Gwi-ryeong, a spokeswoman for South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party and a former TV anchor, speaks during an interview with AFP at the National Assembly in Seoul on December 5, 2024.
Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images
The commander of the martial law troops said on Thursday he had no intention to use firearms against the public. The country’s vice defence minister said no live ammunition was provided to the troops.
The martial law declaration only lasted about six hours in total.
Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.
Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images
Yoon claimed the decree was necessary to eliminate “anti-state” forces in the opposition that controls parliament. It was criticized by the president’s allies and foes alike and drew hundreds of protesters into the streets overnight.
According to the BBC, a declaration of martial law means political acts of dissent like demonstrations and rallies are banned, labour action and strikes are prohibited and authorities take control of the media. Anyone who violates the order can be arrested or detained without a warrant.
On Thursday, South Korea’s opposition parties submitted a motion to impeach Yoon, but it is not immediately clear if any lawmakers in his party will support the impeachment vote. They are expected to vote this weekend, perhaps as soon as Friday.
Impeaching Yoon would require support from 200 of the National Assembly’s 300 members. The Korea Democratic Party and the five other small opposition parties, who jointly submitted the impeachment motion, together have 192 seats.
Ahn told Reuters that she thinks “the people have already psychologically impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. Who could trust a president declaring martial law almost like a child playing games or entrust the nation to such leadership?”
—With files from Global News’ Sean Boynton and Reuters
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
