S. Korean soldier mobilized by martial law seen apologizing to citizens

This screen grab of reporter Heo Jae-hyeon’s YouTube channel shows a soldier apologizing to citizens, after the military’s stand-off with people at the National Assembly. (YouTube via The Korea Herald/Asia News Network)

SEOUL — One of the soldiers mobilized during the martial law declared on Tuesday was seen apologizing to citizens, in a YouTube video posted by a local journalist early Wednesday.

Heo Jae-hyeon, an investigative reporter, posted a video of the South Korean troops leaving the National Assembly in the early hours of Wednesday. One of the soldiers who crossed paths with Heo and others gathered at the building — most of whom were there to protest President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law — bowed his head repeatedly and said, “I’m sorry.”

“When I heard you say sorry repeatedly, bowing once, twice, and three times in apology, I felt your sincerity. As if to say, ‘we are on the side of democracy,” Heo said in response to his own video.

READ: What we know about South Korea’s martial law

After the president declared martial law, the military deployed troops to the National Assembly in Seoul. Soldiers attempted to enter the parliament building at around midnight, while trying to prevent lawmakers or anyone else from entering.

Though this led to some shoving and shouting of profanities, the stand-off concluded with no major incident. Soldiers who managed to get into the building did not try to forcibly push through the barricade of furniture set up by the lawmakers’ aides.

READ: South Korean media call for Yoon Suk Yeol’s resignation, arrest 

In one instant, one of the soldiers was filmed trying to soothe an infuriated citizen by hugging him and patting him on the back.