The declaration of martial law late Tuesday placed all military forces on emergency stand-by, with some special units mobilized to enforce the decree. Korean parents with sons serving on active military duty endured a sleepless night too, overwhelmed with worry about what their children might be experiencing amid the chaos.

In an online community of Korean soldiers' parents on Naver, which has around 150,000 members, parents voiced their worries throughout the night, uncertain about what their sons were facing. All able-bodied men in South Korea over the age of 18 are required to serve in the army for at least 18 months.

“I left a message to my son, ‘I love you,’ knowing he wouldn’t be able to read it. Then I cried, overcome with anxiety that something might happen to him,” one user wrote.

Sharing feelings of shame and sorrow, some apologized to their sons for the state of the nation. One post read, “How frightening it must have been for our sons in the military,” to which another user replied, “It was such a heartbreaking night for my son.”

Some parents spoke up on behalf of their sons, expressing concern for the soldiers caught in the unrest.

“The fervor should not be directed at the soldiers but at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu,” one comment read, addressing the physical altercations between protesters and military personnel at the National Assembly.