As President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and the consequent reversal, a touching moment captured the attention of the public: an armed martial law soldier deployed to the National Assembly building was seen bowing to citizens before withdrawing.
On the morning of December 4, Heo Jae Hyun, a reporter for RepoAct shared a photo of the soldier bowing his head, writing, “This morning, a young martial law soldier at the National Assembly bowed deeply and said, ‘I’m sorry,’ to the citizens who had gathered to protest.”
He continued, “The soldier, so upright in appearance, had clear, kind eyes behind his glasses that instantly washed away all my anger, leaving me with a deep sense of compassion and gratitude.”
The reporter added, “As he bowed once, twice, three times while saying, ‘I’m sorry,’ I felt the sincerity in that brief moment. It was as if he was saying, ‘We’re on the same side of democracy.’ As a citizen and journalist who witnessed your gesture, I will remember your words forever. Thank you for protecting the dawn of our democratic republic. I hope you complete your military service safely and return as a strong and healthy young man. Thank you.”
Reporter Heo Jae Hyun also shared a video of the soldier bowing on his YouTube channel, where he showed the martial law soldiers withdrawing from the National Assembly building.
Earlier, at 10:28 PM on December 3, President Yoon declared martial law, and by 12:27 AM on December 4, martial law troops attempted to enter the main gate of the National Assembly building, clashing with opposition lawmakers.
At 12:38 AM, some armed troops tried to break into the main building, confronting National Assembly aides who had barricaded themselves with chairs. Some soldiers managed to break windows and enter the building, prompting National Assembly staff to use fire extinguishers to block their advance into the main assembly hall.
Following the National Assembly’s resolution to nullify the martial law declaration, the soldiers withdrew entirely from the National Assembly grounds at 1:14 AM.
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