SEOUL – South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik has emerged as an unexpected symbol of leadership amid the country’s continued political turmoil sparked by President Yoon Seok-yeol’s brief declaration of martial law on Dec. 3.
Despite being the second-highest office in South Korea after the president, the National Assembly speaker has historically had a low-profile role operating behind the scenes in politics.
Unlike the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who drives Washington’s legislative agenda as majority party leader, the speaker of South Korea’s parliament is required by law to abandon party affiliation during elections in order to maintain neutrality. The majority of speakers also retire after their term.
But Wu’s decisive and measured actions during the recent crisis appear to have overturned traditional views about speakers and their roles.
“It was refreshing to see someone like him stand up and act decisively at such a critical moment,” lawyer and political columnist Yoo Jung-hoon told Al Jazeera.
“This allowed voters, young and old, to realize that such talented politicians still exist,” Yu said.
South Korean youth even nicknamed Woo “Congressman Thor.” This is a nod to Wu’s title gavel and the Marvel superhero wielding a powerful hammer.
In a recent Gallup Korea poll, 56% of respondents expressed confidence in Mr. Woo, in a country where confidence in the National Assembly has fallen to just 20.6%, according to a 2024 OECD survey. That’s an unusual number.
Students protest against the constitutional procedure “Toll”
Mr. Woo, a young student activist, was imprisoned for three years for protesting against the military dictatorship that expanded martial law in 1980 after the assassination of President Park Chung Hee in 1979.
The repression culminated in the deadly Gwangju uprising in May 1980.
After President Yoon declared martial law on the night of Dec. 3, the 67-year-old Woo was sent to the National Assembly fence after police barricaded the entrance to try to prevent lawmakers from entering and voting to overturn the executive order. I climbed up.
“We knew we had the constitutional authority to lift martial law,” Wu recalled at a later press conference.
“I didn’t hesitate. I had to get into Congress no matter what,” he said.
Even as South Korean special forces soldiers enter the parliament building, pressure from anxious politicians mounts on Woo to cut some corners if possible to speed up the process. insisted on following proper legislative procedures.
“In a moment like this, it’s even more important to definitely follow the correct procedures,” Wu told concerned colleagues in the chamber around him.
At one point, troops dangerously entered the main chamber where lawmakers were voting, sparking a tense standoff with Congressional staff.
The crucial vote went ahead, with all 190 members of the 300-member parliament present voting in favor of abolishing martial law.
Political columnist Yoo said, “Many reactions on social media questioned why (Mr. Woo) was so particular about the legislative process.”
“But now, even those who oppose impeachment (of President Yoon) cannot find fault with the process he supported,” Yoo said.
Bong Yong-sik, a researcher at Yonsei University’s North Korea Research Institute, said the chaotic situation was resolved peacefully with no civilian casualties thanks to Mr. Yu’s emphasis on diligently following constitutional procedures. I’m thinking.
“Both conservatives and progressives have decided that Mr. Wu can be trusted in such an unexpected and critical situation,” Bong said.
“We found that this approach worked as intended,” he said.
“Korea is strong. Its people are resilient.”
Mr. Yu also adhered to strict constitutional procedures when the first impeachment vote against President Yun failed on December 7 for endangering the country by declaring martial law.
As Yun’s ruling party boycotted the vote to prevent impeachment, Mr. Woo took the unusual step of keeping the National Assembly in session for several hours, calling on politicians to fulfill their constitutional obligation to vote.
Two members of the ruling party returned to the floor to vote.
At 9:20 p.m., Mr. Yu explained that the demonstrators who had gathered outside the parliament in the frigid cold to demand Mr. Yoon’s impeachment could no longer be kept waiting indefinitely for the outcome. The meeting closed around the minute.
After the second successful impeachment vote a week later, Woo called for a return to normalcy in all aspects of South Korean life and for the people to move forward together.
“I hope the end of the year is a little bit happier,” Wu said at the time, mindful of the damage the disruption has caused to struggling small and medium-sized businesses at a critical time of the year. He encouraged South Koreans to resume Christmas holiday celebrations and gatherings.
“His words immediately conveyed meaning,” said Yu, a political columnist.
Although Wu acknowledges his rising profile and newfound popularity, he remains unusually humble.
“I hear that young people call me ‘Congressman Thor,’ which I think is funny,” he said at a recent press conference.
He attributed the renewed public attention to the speaker’s role in politics not to him personally, but to the collective efforts of members of Congress, staff, and committed citizens.
Asked about his future ambitions, including a possible run for president, Wu dismissed the idea.
Instead, it emphasized the need for constitutional reform to address the recurrent instability that has plagued South Korea’s presidential administration since its transition to democracy in 1987.
“Our current constitution, drafted in 1987, is outdated,” he said, adding that “reforms that reflect social changes over the past 40 years” are needed.
Mr. Woo also had a message for people around the world who watched in shock as South Korean troops were mobilized during President Yoon’s brief declaration of martial law.
“South Korea is strong. The people there are resilient,” he said.
He added, “While the world may have been surprised by the declaration of martial law, South Korea remains safe, stable, and confident in its future.”
