In South Korea, this woman trying to snatch a soldier’s weapon has become a face of the revolt

SOUTH KOREA – Defend democracy, at all costs. An Gwi-ryeong, a South Korean politician, became one of the faces of the revolt in the country, following the express martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol. During the military intervention in Parliament, she was filmed wresting her weapon from a soldier with her bare hands.

An Gwi-ryeong is a former television star turned spokesperson for the opposition Democratic Party. She told AFP this Thursday, December 5, that she had ” fear “ but have no regrets for having fought for democracy. Dressed in black, hair cut in a bob, we can see her on the videos struggling with all her strength while pulling the weapon, the barrel however pointed at her.

She said she was inspired by the courage of her fellow citizens who gathered in their thousands in front of Parliament to demonstrate. “The fear at that moment was balanced by the conviction that this place had to be defended”she confided. “South Korea has a proud history of achieving democracy through the determination of its citizens”said An Gwi-ryeong, in an allusion to the country’s authoritarian past. “I deeply believe that this spirit is inscribed in the DNA of the Korean people”she added.

« It would have been the end of our democracy”

“Aren’t you ashamed?” »she said to the soldier during this brief altercation, the video of which quickly spread on the internet. Many comments praised his courageous attitude in the face of authoritarianism.

“I felt that if this assault succeeded, there would be no turning back”she told AFP. “If they had come in and prevented the vote, not only would martial law not have been lifted, but it would also have been the end of our democracy”she explained.

« Ms. Ahn Gwi-ryeong (former news anchor/now politician) was among many other brave people in South Korea last night to confront the soldiers who imposed martial law. This drawing is my salute to those who stand up to defend democracy. Draw, applaud the citizens and members of Congress who resisted martial law and safeguarded democracy in South Korea last night! », Wrote a user on X.

To everyone’s astonishment, the president declared martial law on Tuesday evening and attempted to muzzle Parliament by sending the army there, before turning around six hours later under pressure from deputies and demonstrators.

Despite the closure of the National Assembly by hundreds of soldiers and police, 190 deputies managed to sneak into the building during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, sometimes by climbing the fences, and to hold an extraordinary session. That’s when An Gwi-ryeong faced the soldiers.

“We must not let our guard down” facing Yoon Suk Yeol

The opposition has initiated impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of attempting to impose martial law to prevent prosecution of himself and his family.

An Gwi-ryeong told AFP he could not rule out the possibility that he might try to stay in power again. “He seems not to consider it all a total failure”that’s why “we must not let our guard down”she insisted. “We must stand against the tyranny of the Yoon administration until the end. We must fight together, and support each other”she concluded.

Yoon Suk Yeol, narrowly elected in 2022 and who has never had a majority in Parliament, had pointed out a “legislative dictatorship” and accused the elected representatives of the opposition of blocking “all budgets essential to the primary functions of the nation”.

Six opposition parties filed an impeachment motion on Wednesday, accusing the leader of “seriously violated the Constitution and the law”. This motion will be put to a vote on Saturday at 7 p.m. (11 a.m. Paris time), according to the Yonhap news agency.

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