South Korean woman who grabbed a soldier’s gun explains why she did it – National
As South Korea descends into political turmoil this week, one woman stood out for grabbing the microphone of an armed official outside the National Assembly on Tuesday night.
Ahn Gwi-ryeong, 35, a former TV host who works as a spokesman for the opposition Democratic Party, has gone public with his disrespectful act, which many see as brave.
However, he insists that putting his hand to the gun, in response to the temporary declaration of martial law, was nothing special or brave and he did whatever he could to fight the declaration and reverse the situation. both sides.
Ahn Gwi-ryeong is seen in this still image in a video shot by JTBC taking a gun from an armed soldier.
JTBC
“My only thought is that I have to stop them. I pushed them, I shook them, I did everything I could,” he told Reuters.
“A lot of people were fighting the army so I thought I should stop them too.”
His brazen act came hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a televised announcement – an announcement that shocked even those in his party.
Get the latest country news
For news that affects Canada and the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you as they happen.
Members of Parliament flocked to the National Assembly soon after, preparing to vote down the order. Their assistants piled furniture in front of the building’s entrance to block the soldiers from entering and formed human chains and sprayed the soldiers with fire extinguishers.
“If the military had come in and disrupted the vote, we wouldn’t have been able to lift martial law, and we wouldn’t be here today,” Ahn told CNN. “What I thought was that I had to 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! Aren’t you ashamed?” After grabbing his gun, the soldier retreats.
Asked if he knew that there would be so much attention, Ahn told Reuters: “There are many people who are braver than me who represent the military. There are people who even managed to park armored cars outside. So, I don’t think my actions were special.”
Ahn Gwi-ryeong, spokesman for South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party and former TV host, 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 military commander said Thursday that he had no intention of opening fire on the public. The deputy minister of defense in that country said that no military ammunition was given to the soldiers.
The declaration of martial law lasted only about six hours.
Soldiers attempt to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4 2024, after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.
Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images
Yoon said the law is necessary to eliminate “anti-national” forces from the opposition party that controls parliament. It was criticized by the president’s supporters and foes alike and drew hundreds of protesters to the streets overnight.
According to the BBC, the declaration of martial law means that political acts of dissent such as protests and rallies are banned, labor actions and strikes are prohibited and the authorities control the media. Anyone who violates this order can be arrested or detained without a warrant.
On Thursday, opposition groups in South Korea submitted a motion to impeach Yoon, but it is not clear whether any members of his party will support a vote to remove him from office. They are expected to vote this weekend, maybe as early as Friday.
Impeaching Yoon would need the support of 200 of the 300 members of the National Assembly. The Democratic Party of Korea and five other small opposition parties, which jointly submitted a motion to impeach him, have a combined 192 seats.
Ahn told Reuters that he thinks “people have already replaced President Yoon Suk Yeol mentally. Who can trust a president who declares martial law almost like a child playing or entrusts the nation to such leadership?”
–With files from Global News’ Sean Boynton and Reuters
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
