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YouTuber, ex-spec ops commander accuse martial law hero of 'attempted theft of military hardware'

Published: 24 Feb. 2026, 18:59

Ahn Gwi-ryeong, deputy spokesperson at the Blue House, is seen grabbing the barrel of a soldier’s rifle during emergency martial law at the National Assembly on Dec. 3, 2024. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A complaint has been filed against Ahn Gwi-ryeong, deputy spokesperson at the Blue House, over her grabbing the barrel of a soldier's rifle during deposed President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, police said Tuesday.

Jeon Han-gil, a conservative YouTuber and former Korean history instructor, and Col. Kim Hyun-tae, former commander of the Army Special Warfare Command’s 707th Special Mission Group, submitted the complaint to the Yeongdeungpo Police Precinct in Seoul on Tuesday morning.

Jeon and Kim alleged that Ahn attempted to seize a soldier’s firearm when troops entered the National Assembly grounds during the hours of martial law. They accused her of five charges, including attempted theft of military property, attempted aggravated theft and aggravated obstruction of official duties.

On Dec. 3, 2024, at the National Assembly, Ahn was seen shouting at the troops and grabbing the barrel of a soldier’s rifle. The BBC later selected an image of the scene as one of the 12 most striking images of 2024.

“The five alleged charges, including attempted theft of military property, are difficult to establish both factually and legally,” Ahn’s representatives said in a statement released on Tuesday. “We are considering legal action, such as filing a countercomplaint for false accusation, if necessary, against those defending insurrection.”

Jeon Han-gil, a conservative YouTuber and former Korean history instructor, right, and Col. Kim Hyun-tae, former commander of the Army Special Warfare Command’s 707th Special Mission Group, hold up a complaint document against Ahn Gwi-ryeong at the Yeongdeungpo Police Precinct in Seoul on Feb. 24. [YONHAP]

“At the time, the martial law forces first used physical force, such as grabbing Ahn's arm and trying to forcibly drag her out, and then threatened her with a gun,” Ahn’s representatives said. “Ahn simply tried to defend herself from the physical threat. There is no evidence of a criminal act, such as an active or planned attempt to seize firearms."

“The deployment of troops to the National Assembly was ruled unconstitutional and unlawful as an act of insurrection in a first-instance court ruling,” Ahn’s representatives continued. “It is legally untenable to accuse a citizen who resisted or sought to block such actions on the Assembly grounds of crimes such as theft of military property or obstruction of official duties.”

Ahn’s representatives added, “It cannot be justified before history or the law for those who carried out or supported the insurrection to attempt to evade responsibility by portraying a citizen who resisted an unconstitutional and unlawful act as a criminal.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]