A South Korean party spokeswoman seen grappling with a rifle-wielding soldier in a video that went viral as a symbol of defiance against martial law on Thursday insisted that she was not especially brave.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was forced to abandon his declaration of martial law this week after 190 lawmakers defied a contingent of soldiers in helmets and body armor and voted unanimously to reject it.
Footage of the lawmakers’ aides tussling with the troops to prevent the soldiers entering the main hall has become a symbol of public rejection of the attempt to impose military rule.
Photo: Reuters
Images went viral showing An Gwi-ryeong, 35, a former TV anchor who serves as spokesperson for the opposition Democratic Party, grappling with a soldier and grabbing hold of his gun.
One video was viewed more than 1.3 million times on YouTube as of yesterday evening.
“My only thought was that I just needed to stop them. I pushed them away, shook them off, and did everything I could,” she said on Thursday.
“A lot of people were fighting against martial law troops so I just thought I also had to stop them,” she added.
As lawmakers were gathered on Tuesday, their aides blocked entrances with furniture, formed human chains and sprayed troops with fire extinguishers.
Just two-and-a-half hours after the president declared martial law, 190 lawmakers had made their way to the parliament and unanimously voted to block it.
“Let go! Don’t you feel the shame?” Ahn can be seen shouting at the soldier in the clip. After she grabs his rifle, the soldier steps back.
Asked if she knew it would gain that much attention, she said: “There were many people braver than me who stood up to the martial law troops.”
“There were people who even managed to stop armored vehicles outside. So, I don’t think my actions were particularly special,” she added.
The commander of the martial law troops on Thursday said he had no intention to wield firearms against the public. South Korean Vice-Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho said no live ammunition was provided to the troops.
South Korean opposition lawmakers plan to vote this weekend to impeach the president.
“I think that the people have already psychologically impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol,” Ahn said.
“Who could trust a president declaring martial law almost like a child playing games or entrust the nation to such leadership?” she added.
A humanoid robot that won a half-marathon race for robots in Beijing on Sunday ran faster than the human world record in a show of China’s technological leaps. The winner from Honor, a Chinese smartphone maker, completed the 21km race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, said a WeChat post by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, where the race began. That was faster than the human world record holder, Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, who finished the same distance in about 57 minutes in March at the Lisbon road race. The performance by the robot marked a significant step forward
Four contenders are squaring up to succeed Antonio Guterres as secretary-general of the UN, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal’s Macky Sall are each to face grillings by 193 member states and non-governmental organizations for three hours today and tomorrow. It is only the second time the UN has held a public question-and-answer, a format created in 2016 to boost transparency. Ultimately the five permanent members of the UN’s top body, the Security Council, hold the power, wielding vetoes over who leads the
South Korea’s air force yesterday apologized for a 2021 midair collision involving two fighter jets, a day after auditors said the pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight and held them responsible for the accident. “We sincerely apologize to the public for the concern caused by the accident that occurred in 2021,” an air force spokesman told a news conference, adding that one of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying duties, received severe disciplinary action and has since left the military. The apology followed a report released on Wednesday by the South Korean Board of Audit and Inspection,
An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northern Japan on Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert and the advisory of a higher risk of a possible mega-quake for coastal areas there. The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance for a mega-quake, compared to a 0.1% chance during normal times, in the next week or so following the powerful quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches. Officials said the advisory was not a quake prediction but urged residents in 182 towns along the northeastern coasts to raise their preparedness while continuing their daily lives. Prime
RSS