WORLD NEWS – Why Ahn Gwi-ryeong, the South Korean woman, went viral on the internet

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

When martial law was declared in South Korea, the nation’s capital, Seoul, descended into chaos. The president’s declaration sent soldiers to block access to the National Assembly while a vote to overturn the martial law order was underway.

Amid the turmoil, 35-year-old Ahn Gwi-ryeong was captured in a now-viral video grabbing a soldier’s gun and pushing it away from her face.  The powerful photo went viral on the internet and across the globe.  She later stated, “I didn’t think…I just knew we had to stop this.” The scene resonated with many citizens, who viewed the president’s decision as a regression in the nation’s progress. Many expressed fear about the implications for South Korea’s future.

According to reports, “Ahn Gwi-ryeong is 35 years old, a South Korean politician and former newscaster. A former news anchor for Korean broadcasting company YTN, in the 2024 South Korean legislative election she ran in the Dobong A constituency for the Korean Democratic Party and lost. She is currently the Deputy Spokesperson of Democratic Party.”