Video of South Korean woman clashing with soldiers after martial law declaration goes viral

A video of a South Korean woman standing up to soldiers amid protests in front of the National Assembly in Seoul made the rounds on social media on Dec 4, following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s

martial law declaration

and the subsequent reversal of his decision.

The video, taken in the early hours of Dec 4, shows the woman appearing to push back against a soldier holding a gun.

Another man is later seen tussling with the soldier, but is pushed away. The woman then reaches for the soldier’s gun, but another soldier grabs her hand and separates her from the first soldier.

The footage was uploaded on online news outlet Ohmynews’ YouTube channel, where it garnered more than 506,000 views as at 11.30am on Dec 4.

Protesters gathered in front of the National Assembly in Seoul after Mr Yoon declared martial law late on Dec 3, the country’s first in more than 40 years, to quell what he called “anti-state forces”. He

backed down hours later

, after lawmakers voted to oppose the declaration.

South Korean news outlets have identified the woman as Ms Ahn Gwi-ryeong, 35, from the opposition Democratic Party of Korea.

According to her social media profile, she is the party’s regional chairwoman for Seoul’s Dobong District and a former news anchor.

She has been a vocal critic of Mr Yoon on social media, calling for his resignation as well as for the investigation of him and his wife, Ms Kim Keon Hee.

Ms Kim has faced backlash in South Korea after she was implicated in a

luxury bag scandal

, which emerged after hidden camera footage showed her receiving a Christian Dior pouch as a gift.

She has also been accused of academic plagiarism

and lying about her credentials, as well as of involvement in stock manipulation.