Jeon Han-gil Calls It a “Firearm Seizure to Incite a Riot” vs. Ahn Gwi-ryeong Calls It “Resistance to Insurrection and Self-Defense”

[The Financial News] Jeon Han-gil, a YouTuber and former Korean history lecturer, has filed a criminal complaint against Ahn Gwi-ryeong, Blue House Deputy Spokesperson, accusing her of attempted robbery of military property for grabbing the muzzle of a martial law soldier’s rifle at the National Assembly during the December 3 emergency martial law. Ahn’s side countered, calling it "a baseless complaint both in terms of facts and law," and argued, "Acts that brand as criminals the citizens who resisted the insurrectionary riot, simply so that those who carried out or abetted the insurrection can evade responsibility, can never be justified before history or the law."
On the morning of the 24th, Jeon and former 707th Special Mission Group commander Kim Hyun-tae submitted a complaint at Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station, accusing Ahn of attempted robbery of military property, attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated obstruction of official duties, assaulting a sentry, rioting, and carrying a weapon in a public place.
Before filing the complaint, Jeon held a press conference and stated, "Deputy Spokesperson Ahn told the public that martial law troops threatened civilians with firearms and that she herself was threatened, but in reality it was a firearm seizure incident." He claimed, "The truth is that Ahn and citizens including those from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) attempted to seize the martial law troops’ firearms in order to incite a riot."
He went on, "You can also see people nearby trying to help her. This was not a simple protest or accidental contact, but a coordinated attempt to seize the firearm with divided roles," adding, "Even without such actions by Deputy Spokesperson Ahn, martial law could fully have been lifted. This does not fall under self-defense or necessity."
By contrast, attorney Yang Sung-woo, speaking for Ahn, argued in a statement on the complaint, "The prior act was the martial law troops first grabbing Deputy Spokesperson Ahn’s arm, forcibly dragging her away, using physical force, and raising the gun muzzle to threaten her." He maintained, "In that urgent situation, all Ahn did was instinctively resist the physical threat directed at her and defend herself."
He further stated, "The declaration of the December 3 emergency martial law and the deployment of military and police forces into the National Assembly have been found to be unconstitutional and unlawful acts constituting the crime of insurrection aimed at subverting the constitutional order." He added, "Legally, it is impossible to construe the acts of citizens within the National Assembly grounds at the time—who resisted or tried to stop those measures—as crimes such as robbery of military property or obstruction of official duties."
psh@fnnews.com Reporter Park Sung-hyun Reporter