Armored Vehicles and Martial Law Troops in the Heart of the City... The Real-Life "Spring of Seoul"

Moment of Martial Law Troops Storming the National Assembly. National Assembly CCTV

Martial Law Troops Storm the National Assembly by Helicopter... Break Windows to Enter

During the process of declaring and lifting martial law overnight, President Yoon Suk-yeol saw armored vehicles appear in downtown Seoul, and soldiers stormed the National Assembly by helicopter, breaking windows to enter. Citizens are reacting by saying that last year's film "Seoul-ui Bom" has come to life.

"Seoul-ui Bom" is a film depicting the December 12 military coup led by Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo. It was released on November 22 last year and has attracted a cumulative audience of 13.12 million. The film portrays the events following the assassination of President Park Chung-hee on October 26, 1979, when martial law was declared and Chun Doo-hwan, who became the martial law commander, staged a military uprising with Roh Tae-woo and others on December 12 of that year. In the movie, Jeon Dugwang (based on Chun Doo-hwan) mobilizes soldiers to seize control of Seoul, deploying armored vehicles and tanks at Gwanghwamun and other key locations to block the city.

In the early morning of the 4th, when the National Assembly passed a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law, citizens clashed with police controlling access to the National Assembly in front of the building. Photo by Yonhap News

Armed Soldiers and Citizens Face Off Overnight

There were reactions that scenes from the film overlapped with reality. When President Yoon declared martial law on the night of the 3rd, armed soldiers and citizens confronted each other in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. As the crowd of citizens blocked the martial law troops from entering the Assembly, the troops stormed the building by military helicopter. Armored vehicles also appeared in the city. These events were broadcast in real time through social networking services (SNS).

Trending keywords on SNS included "martial law" and "Seoul-ui Bom," and online, people reacted with phrases like "Yongsan-ui Bom" and "Seoul-ui Gyeoul." Chinese netizens described the situation as a "sequel to Seoul-ui Bom" and closely followed the developments. On Chinese SNS Weibo and the portal site Baidu, news related to Korea's martial law topped real-time search rankings.

President Yoon Sukyeol declared martial law on the night of the 3rd, and in the early morning of the 4th, martial law troops attempted to enter the National Assembly main building. The following photo is a still from the movie "Spring in Seoul." Photo by Kim Hyunmin, provided by Plus M Entertainment.

President Yoon Sukyeol declared martial law on the night of the 3rd, and in the early morning of the 4th, martial law troops are attempting to enter the main building of the National Assembly. The following photo is a still from the movie Spring in Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyunmin, provided by Plus M Entertainment.

Martial Law Troops Withdraw Six Hours After Declaration

Similar reactions came from the political sphere. Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, said, "The situation caused by the military during the 'Seoul-ui Bom' in 1980 has been repeated in the 21st century." Former South Gyeongsang Governor Kim Kyung-soo, who is currently staying in Germany, expressed his intention to return to Korea after President Yoon declared martial law, saying, "The tragedy of Seoul-ui Bom must not be repeated. We cannot turn back history."

At around 4:27 a.m. that day, President Yoon announced at the presidential office in Yongsan that he was lifting martial law and said, "The troops deployed for martial law operations have been withdrawn." This came just six hours after martial law was declared at around 10:25 p.m. the previous night.