Prosecution indicts 'Captain America' cosplayer, orders detention
Published: 19 Mar. 2025, 18:25
![Ahn, holds up a placard saying ″Protect President Yoon Suk Yeol's human rights″ while wearing a costume of Captain America at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea's building on Feb. 10. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/03/19/c1b5336e-3d9f-45ac-ad41-fca547b8c7ce.jpg)
Ahn, holds up a placard saying ″Protect President Yoon Suk Yeol's human rights″ while wearing a costume of Captain America at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea's building on Feb. 10. [NEWS1]
The prosecution indicted the “Captain America” cosplayer who claimed to be a Donald Trump administration official with detention on Monday on charges of trespassing and property damage, according to reports on Wednesday.
Ahn Byeong-hee, 42, was arrested on Feb. 14 after attempting to break into the Chinese Embassy in Jung District, central Seoul, while dressed as the Marvel superhero.
Ahn, in superhero getup, then smashed windows while trying to break into the Seoul Namdaemun Police Precinct in the same district on Feb. 20, calling for an “urgent investigation” into his case.
At the time of the embassy break-in attempt, Ahn was wearing his Captain America costume and had previously made threats of a “terror attack” on the compound. Earlier that week, he also caused a disturbance at South Korea's state human rights watchdog, once again dressed as the popular superhero.
Ahn was a former member of the now defunct far-right Korean Patriots' Party and ran for a seat in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, in 2018. He also gained notoriety in 2011 when he claimed he was the descendant of Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) on the online community Ruliweb while posting pictures of his dieting progress.
![Ahn wearing Captain America's iconic costume blocks an elevator in the National Human Rights Commission of Korea's building in Jung District, central Seoul, on Feb. 10. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/03/19/98f81f01-9db7-4702-a5f1-1491eeaa7a6d.jpg)
Ahn wearing Captain America's iconic costume blocks an elevator in the National Human Rights Commission of Korea's building in Jung District, central Seoul, on Feb. 10. [NEWS1]
Ahn was part of at least four reports by far-right news outlet Skye Daily, claiming in phone conversations on Jan. 17 and 18, and Feb. 9 and 16 that he had worked for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Israel’s Mossad and the U.S. military.
Ahn frequently changed his identity throughout his communications with the Skye Daily reporter who quoted him on multiple occasions. In various Skye Daily articles, he appeared as an “anonymous intelligence source,” a “U.S. military intelligence source,” or a “source familiar with the matter.”
One article quoted a so-called “Trump administration official” who said, “The presence of the South Korean flag and U.S. flag has turned the event into a celebration of the strong friendship between South Korea and the United States.”
“President Trump sees this as evidence that the United States has many friends in Korea.”
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal team later cited one of Skye Daily's reports claiming election fraud during impeachment proceedings at the Constitutional Court to justify his martial law declaration on Dec. 3 last year.
BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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