A South Korean politician who grabbed a soldier’s gun in a tense standoff during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s abortive attempt at martial law told AFP she was scared but that democracy was worth fighting for.
Yoon’s bid to impose South Korea’s first martial law in over four decades sent lawmakers streaming to parliament to defy soldiers and vote against the proposal.
In one dramatic scene, An Gwi-ryeong, a spokeswoman for the opposition Democratic Party and a former TV anchor, scuffled with a soldier, attempting to seize his rifle.
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” she asked him during the 10-second scuffle, video footage showed.
Her defiant stand spread quickly online, with comments hailing her bravery and strength in standing up to authoritarianism.
“It felt like if this place was breached, there would be no turning back,” she told AFP.
“If they got in and the vote didn’t take place, not only would martial law not be lifted, but it would also mean the end of our democracy,” she said.
An admitted she was “scared” at the time.
But the bravery of her fellow citizens, who flocked to parliament in their thousands to defy the martial law order, inspired her.
“The fear of that moment was outweighed by the belief that this place had to be defended,” she said.
That fear was compounded by South Korea’s dark authoritarian past, when strict military rule led to human rights abuses — a time still fresh in the minds of many.
“South Korea has a proud history of achieving democracy through the strength of its citizens,” An said.
“I firmly believe that spirit is ingrained in the DNA of the Korean people.”
Lawmakers — some of whom vaulted fences — eventually made their way into parliament and voted down martial law.
The opposition has formally begun impeachment proceedings against Yoon, accusing him of “insurrection” and seeking to stop criminal investigations into himself and his family.
An told AFP that she could not rule out Yoon making another attempt at holding onto power.
“He likely doesn’t see this as a complete failure,” she said.
“We cannot afford to let our guard down.”
“We must stand against the Yoon administration’s tyranny until the end. We must fight together and support one another.”
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