South Korea on December 3, 2024, witnessed a short yet unprecedented political turmoil when President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law. Despite the move sparking protests and wide online chatter, it was one funny interaction that came between a curious Canadian man and his South Korean colleague who managed to steal all the limelight.
The evening announced President Yoon’s decision via broadcast to declare martial law all over South Korea against perceived internal anti-state factors “threatening liberal democracy”. Martial law limited the various forms of political activity, any type of public gathering and running operations, but the National Assembly met for three hours before voiding this decision. It would make it “invalid.
I asked my Korean coworker what was going on in South Korea today. pic.twitter.com/lDLhNMyL8u
— Jack Forge (@TheJackForge) December 4, 2024
The move stirred the streets, with thousands of citizens gathering outside parliament, and videos of these demos flooded social media sites. Public outrage was instant as many questioned the need to move to such drastic steps.
In the midst of chaos, a light-hearted moment emerged in the form of a Canada-based man named Jack Forge texting his South Korean coworker to inquire about the martial law situation. He shared their conversation on X (formerly Twitter), which soon went viral.
“Hey, what is going on in South Korea today?” Forge asked. His coworker’s nonchalant reply? “Not sure, playing League of Legends.” The Canadian pressed further, asking, “They declared martial law or something?” The response remained unchanged: “League of Legends.”
The interaction, which Forge said was confusing yet hilarious, gained many online sympathies. With over 1.4 million views, users commended the focus of the coworker to gaming than to the nation’s events. One commenter even humorously wrote, “Unbothered. In his lane. Thriving.”
The post generated numerous jokes and memes with a user commenting, “This is hilarious but also shows how disconnected some people are from political chaos.” Another user quipped that League of Legends is actually the real priority here.
The brief imposition of martial law and its quick reversal was causing major political tensions in South Korea. But the viral exchange between coworkers gave a funny side of the events, showing how national upheavals can sometimes find such normalcy in day-to-day life.
