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| - On Dec. 3, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, which remained in effect for only about six hours.
Shortly after, a photograph purportedly taken following the declaration of martial law began to circulate online.
(X user @araykonho)
One post (archived) featuring the picture had amassed more than 1.5 million views as of this writing. The accompanying caption read:
MARTIAL LAW DECLARED IN SOUTH KOREA
President Yoon Suk Yeol has announced Emergency Martial Law, with convoys of tanks and helicopters spotted across the capital, Seoul.
Google reverse image search results indicated the photo was shared hundreds of times in early December 2024, appearing on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Threads and Bluesky. It also was featured on numerous news websites, including Malta Today, Nova24TV, and RÉCORD.
However, the picture in question was actually taken in January 2024, nearly a full year before martial law was declared in South Korea. Therefore, we have rated this photograph as miscaptioned.
Photo from January 2024, Not December 2024
Some social media users noted that the picture was not recent and questioned its connection to the December 2024 martial law declaration. For instance, one X user wrote: "These photos are from January of 2024. It is not from December of 2024. Don't be fooled by the fake news. If there are photos of military vehicles in Seoul, these aren't them."
(X user @oniontaker)
Google reverse image search results showed the photo appeared in a Korean-language article published on Jan. 27, 2024, titled: "12 armored vehicles from the Water Defense Corps enter downtown Seoul at night… 'War? Coup?' (Video)."
The accompanying caption (translated into English using Google Translate) said the photo was taken Jan. 25, 2024:
The 1st Guard Brigade of the Capital Defense Command of the Army conducted a mobile training exercise using the K808 wheeled armored vehicle (Baekho) in the downtown area of Seoul on the morning of the 25th. 2024.1.25 Defense Public Relations Agency data (https://youtu.be/O1qMa641zvU)
Therefore, the picture depicted a military training exercise, not a military convoy following the South Korean president's declaration of martial law.
Additionally, the above-mentioned article referenced a Jan. 24, 2024, YouTube video titled: "Army Water Defense Command 1st Guard Brigade, Urban Armored Vehicle Mobility Training (Defense Media Agency)" (translated into English using Google Translate).
It was published by the KFN뉴스 (Korean Forces Network) YouTube channel, and its description read:
The K808 wheeled armored vehicle 'Baekho', a key piece of equipment for the Army's mobility, has conducted nighttime mobility training to demonstrate its determination to firmly defend the capital city of Seoul. We introduce the scene where 12 'Baekhos' are running through downtown Seoul.
The photo appears as a film frame at around the 0:59 mark in the video, which features additional footage from the nighttime mobility training exercise.
This is not the first time Snopes has investigated a South Korea-related claim. In August 2024, we fact-checked whether North and South Korean athletes took selfies together at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In March 2020, we debunked a false claim that the population of Seoul, South Korea, was about 38 million.
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