Ahn, 42, who was arrested Feb. 22 and taken into custody after attempting to break into a police station dressed as the movie character "Captain America." / Captured from the online community Ilbe

Dressed as the Marvel character "Captain America," a 42-year-old man identified as Ahn was arrested and detained Feb. 22 for attempting to break into the Chinese embassy and a police station, later found to have fabricated his identity.

A person, idenfied as "A," who lived with Ahn for years in a shared community, reflected on Ahn's former behavior during a recent interview with the Hankook Ilbo, saying, "He had been wearing U.S. military uniforms for a long time, and he even carried around a replica rifle."

Prior to his arrest, Ahn had claimed to be a CIA black operative and a former U.S. military reservist. However, police investigations revealed that he was a former Army sergeant without any U.S. entry records.

On Feb. 28, the Seoul Namdaemun Police Station sent Ahn to the prosecutor's office on charges including attempted breaking and entering, insult, and forgery of documents. It was also revealed that he had been in possession of a fake U.S. military ID.

A said that Ahn had a strong desire to draw attention to himself, even through lies. Ahn had left traces of his falsehoods in many areas.

For instance, he falsely claimed to be a descendant of independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) since his youth. Later, he tried to reframe himself as someone who worked in international intelligence agencies handling top-secret information, even sending false tips to right-wing media outlets.

However, Ahn was an active member of Ilbe, a far-right online community known for its extreme politics, misogyny, and controversy, where he promoted radical political and religious views as a self-proclaimed "patriot Christian."

Ahn began posting online in his late 20s to early 30s, claiming to be a descendant of Ahn Jung-geun. In 2009, he posted under his real name on the community Today's Humor, saying, “I'm not a direct descendant, but I come from the family line of Ahn Jung-geun. His military spirit has taught my family.”

In 2011, he started claiming that Ahn Jung-geun was his direct great-grandfather in gaming communities. However, his claims were quickly doubted by other users and were ultimately proven false. Ahn's descendants, who are involved in the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Association, confirmed that no such descendants exist.

Ahn speaks on stage at a rally in front of President Yoon Suk Yeol's residence, declaring himself an Ilbe member in January. Captured from YouTube channel Captain America

CIA black operative?

After abruptly disappearing from the online space, Ahn resurfaced on Ilbe in 2017. There, he introduced himself as a "missionary involved in U.S. intelligence" and claimed to have submitted an online petition to the National Intelligence Service.

He also claimed, "I tipped off the National Intelligene Service about the behind-the-scenes of former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment," and requested that his post be upvoted.

Ahn's Ilbe activity significantly increased around Jan. 15, when a warrant was issued for President Yoon Suk Yeol's arrest, and a false report about 99 Chinese nationals being deported to a U.S. military base was released by far-right outlet, Sky Daily. After his false claims gained media coverage, Ahn became emboldened and boasted about his "intel" to journalists at Sky Daily.

Around mid-January, Ahn openly revealed his Ilbe membership during a rally in Hannam-dong. In a video posted on his YouTube account, he introduced himself as "Captain Daehanminguk (Republic of Korea)" and an active Ilbe user. He said, "We need to gather many people to create public opinion and defeat the left-wing."

Ahn's first post on Ilbe appears in 2017, where he claimed to have filed a petition with the National Intelligence Service regarding the forces behind former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment. Captured from the online community Ilbe

Extreme political and religious views

After revealing his Ilbe identity, Ahn labeled himself a "patriot Christian" and actively participated in extreme political gatherings, spreading fake news about election fraud and anti-China rhetoric. From Jan. 25 onward, he attended multiple rallies against President Yoon's impeachment organized by "Save Korea," a group led by Pastor Son Hyun-bo. He often posted photos of himself in a Captain America costume to draw attention.

During this time, Ahn posted numerous statements on his social media, expressing his extreme religious views. He referred to the opposing political side as "evil demons" and even prayed for President Yoon to fulfill the role of the late authoritarian President Syngman Rhee in creating a "second founding of the nation."

Seo Myung-sam, a religious studies professor at Sogang University, said, "His tendency to demonize opponents and sanctify figures like Syngman Rhee and Yoon Suk Yeol reflects a strongly far-right religious ideology."

Oh Se-il, a sociology professor at Sogang University, said, "'Save Korea,' which Ahn followed, is rooted in fundamentalism and claims to uphold the spirit of patriotic martyrs, but it is increasingly shifting toward the far right. Following this group is an extremely dangerous mindset."

Ahn confirms his attendance at far-right religious gatherings, including Save Korea, starting Jan. 25. Captured from the online community Ilbe

After arrest, still seeking attention

Even after being arrested, Ahn continued his attempts to draw attention. On the evening of Feb. 14, after attempting to break into the Chinese embassy, he claimed on his social media that his goal was to deliver a message about anti-China sentiment and that he had not intended for anyone to get hurt.

He explained that he chose the time after working hours to avoid harm and that his actions were intended only to provoke a police response.

A said, "In the past, you could easily identify Ahn just by his silhouette on TV news. Nothing had changed." He expressed disbelief that some people believed Ahn's unfounded claims, such as the 'CIA agent' story.

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