Ahn Gwi-ryeong, deputy spokesperson for the Presidential Office, has announced plans to take legal action against Jeon Han-gil and Kim Hyun-tae, former commander of the Army Special Warfare Command's 707th Special Mission Group, who filed complaints accusing her of attempting to seize a soldier's weapon during the December 3 martial law incident.
Ahn's legal representative stated on the 25th, "The perpetrators and sympathizers of the insurrection are attempting to brand resisting citizens as criminals in order to evade their own responsibility." The representative added, "If these one-sided claims continue, we will consider legal action for false accusation and defamation."
The legal representative explained through a statement that "martial law troops first grabbed Deputy Spokesperson Ahn's arm and forcibly dragged her out, using physical force and pointing their guns at her in a threatening manner." The representative continued, "She merely resisted instinctively and defended herself against physical threats in an urgent situation."
The statement emphasized, "There is no truth to the claim that she actively and deliberately attempted to seize a weapon as Jeon and former Commander Kim allege. We cannot tolerate attempts to intentionally distort facts and transform a victim into a perpetrator."
The legal representative further noted, "Given that the military's deployment to the National Assembly has been defined as an unconstitutional and illegal act of insurrection, it is legally untenable to file criminal complaints for military property theft or obstruction of official duties against citizens who resisted or tried to prevent such actions within the National Assembly grounds."
The representative characterized Jeon and Kim's claims as "political agitation," stating they constitute "one-sided assertions and unverified claims presented definitively and provocatively, beyond mere expression of opinion" and "appear to be part of political propaganda aimed at justifying actions ruled as insurrection by the court and diluting responsibility."
Kim previously faced a lawsuit after claiming Ahn's actions at the time were "staged." On December 9 last year, while testifying at the trial of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others, Kim sparked controversy by stating, "Unit members said they saw Deputy Spokesperson Ahn preparing for filming and even applying makeup just before. She attempted to seize the weapon in a staged manner."
On the previous day, Jeon and Kim submitted a complaint against Ahn to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul. They alleged five charges including attempted robbery of military property, attempted special robbery, and special obstruction of official duties, claiming Ahn attempted to seize a weapon from a soldier conducting operations within the National Assembly grounds during martial law.