"No Harm to Civilians"…Father of Soldier Son Pleads Tearfully

Phone Call to Son on Frontline Duty After Martial Law Declaration
"Can't Be Complacent Just Because It's the Front... Must Take Care of Squad Members"

On the 3rd, after the declaration of martial law, a father's story was shared about how he tearfully contacted his son in the military, urging him not to harm civilians.

On the 6th, an audio file of a phone conversation between a soldier son serving as a platoon leader in a frontline unit and his father was shared on various online communities. This audio file was posted by the father, Mr. A, on his social media account on the 4th, and had previously been featured on the YouTube channel "Kim Eo-jun's Humility is Difficult News Factory."

After the martial law was declared on the 3rd, Mr. A immediately called his son but could not reach him. Worried that something might have happened to his son, he felt anxious until he received a call back from him about an hour later.

In the early morning of the 4th, military troops who entered the National Assembly main building are heading toward the plenary session hall. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding his feelings at the time, Mr. A said, "During the 1979 martial law, the 9th Division stationed at the frontline was mobilized," adding, "Just because he is at the frontline doesn't mean I can feel at ease." He explained that "No one knows what might happen during martial law. There could be a situation where they have to deploy with live ammunition," and that he recorded the voice message thinking it might be their last conversation.

He asked his son, "When did you receive the (emergency) order?" The son replied, "About 10 minutes ago, an emergency duty order was issued," and added, "What’s the situation? I just woke up from sleep."

Mr. A said, "Martial law has been declared. Emergency martial law," and added, "Listen carefully. This is not a (North Korean) provocation; the president just issued it." In a trembling voice, he repeatedly urged, "Protecting your life is the most important thing, and you must never attack or kill civilians."

He continued, "Take good care of your platoon members, and protecting your own life is the most important issue. You know how frightening the military can be during martial law. You will be issued live ammunition and have to manage the troops. Handle your platoon members well," he added.

Netizens who heard the conversation responded with comments such as "My heart feels heavy," "If the martial law had been extended further, we don’t know what might have happened," and "It was a situation on the brink of a crisis."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.