Opposition Party Female Spokeswoman Grabs Rifle 'We Must Stop All This'

On the evening of the 3rd, South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl unexpectedly announced a state of martial law. Ahn Gwi-ryung, a spokesperson for the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, and a former broadcaster, faced off against soldiers outside the National Assembly and was even photographed attempting to seize a rifle while shouting sternly, which particularly attracted attention both domestically and internationally.

Afterwards, Ahn Gwi-ryung told the BBC, 'I only knew that we must stop all this.'

According to previous reports, Ahn Gwi-ryung had a physical confrontation with soldiers tasked with blocking members of parliament from entering earlier that night. In the live broadcast on 'X', it could be seen that Ahn Gwi-ryung grabbed a soldier's rifle, attempting to seize it while scolding, 'Soldiers shouldn’t use force against civilians,' and 'Aren’t you ashamed?'.

The BBC reported that Ahn Gwi-ryung went to the National Assembly shortly after Yoon Seok-youl announced martial law across the country. Like many of South Korea’s younger generation, the term 'martial law' was unfamiliar to her. After all, the last time the government imposed martial law was in 1979.

Ahn Gwi-ryung recalled arriving at the National Assembly building at 11 pm on the 3rd. Helicopters were circling overhead, and she turned off the lights in her office to avoid detection. When Ahn Gwi-ryung reached the main building, soldiers were confronting officials, staff, and the public, 'I felt I was witnessing a regression of history.'

Ahn Gwi-ryung and her colleagues did everything possible to block the troops from entering the main building of the National Assembly, where there was to be a vote to lift the martial law. They locked the revolving door from the inside and piled furniture and heavy objects in front of the door. As the military began to advance, Ahn Gwi-ryung stepped forward, 'Honestly, I was scared at first, but seeing such a confrontation, I thought, ‘I cannot remain silent’'.

Yoon Seok-youl announced the lifting of the martial law and the withdrawal of martial law troops on television at 4:26 am on the 4th. In an interview, Ahn Gwi-ryung was still wearing the same black turtleneck sweater and leather jacket she had worn the previous night while facing off with the soldiers. At times, she was emotional, saying, 'It’s heartbreaking and frustrating that such a thing is happening in 21st century Korea.'