Ahn Gwi-ryeong, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, confronts soldiers during the martial law order outside of the National Assembly building on Dec. 3. Captured from JTBC YouTube channel

A photo of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong, 35, gripping the rifle of a soldier involved in the martial law attempt on Dec. 3 has been chosen by the BBC as one of the 12 of the Most Striking Images of 2024.

The British broadcaster highlighted the brave moment when Ahn confronted armed soldiers outside of the National Assembly, describing it as "a South Korean woman fearlessly seizing the barrel of a soldier's loaded rifle."

The BBC report explained that the image, captured shortly after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, shows Ahn grappling with heavily armed soldiers ordered to prevent lawmakers from gathering.

"My only thought," Ahn later said of the confrontation, "was that I just needed to stop them. I pushed them away, shook them off, and did everything I could."

The BBC likened her "unwavering determination, and even the steely shimmer of light on her clothing," to British artist John Gilbert's evocative 19th-century watercolor portrait of Joan of Arc.

The list of most striking images also included a photograph of former U.S. President Donald Trump raising a fist while bleeding from his ear after an attack at a rally in Pennsylvania in July. The BBC noted, "With the tilted American flag behind him, many saw this as the moment he clinched victory in the election."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.