A short video clip posted by the citizen who blocked a military vehicle with his body near the National Assembly during the early hours of the martial law declaration on Dec. 4 / Captured from his X account

The individual who blocked a military vehicle with his body during the Dec. 3 martial law declaration revealed his identity online, Tuesday.

The man shared Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung's message seeking him on his X account, confirming, "I am the person in the video."

The incident took place during an operation to control the National Assembly, where the citizen's bravery became a symbol of resistance.

"Although I now feel the fear I didn't notice then, I've been comforted by the support from others," he said.

Earlier, main opposition party leader Lee expressed his admiration for the citizen's courage and requested, "Please find out who this person is."

Lee had shared footage from The Washington Post, which showed the events unfolding near the National Assembly during the early hours of the martial law declaration.

In the video, a man wearing a black jacket approached a moving military vehicle and stopped it by placing his hands on it. Prompted by this act, other citizens joined in, eventually halting the vehicle.

Reflecting on the event, the man said, "I only thought about stopping the vehicle and ran toward it when I saw it moving. I would like to thank everyone who stood together all night to protect the National Assembly. Let's change this unjust politics and safeguard democracy."

A citizen blocks a military vehicle heading toward the National Assembly with his body, as captured in footage filmed by The Washington Post during the martial law declaration on Dec. 4 in Yeouido, Seoul. Captured from Washington Post video

He shared additional footage filmed through a smartphone, showing four citizens standing in front of the military vehicle, blocking its path. "I felt safe because of those who immediately joined in after I stopped the vehicle. I am truly grateful," he said.

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.