Seoul – South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik has emerged as an unlikely symbol of leadership amid the country's ongoing political turmoil, fueled by President Yoon Suk-yeol's brief declaration of martial law on December 3rd.
Despite holding the second highest office in South Korea after the presidency, the speaker of the senate has historically held a low profile role, working behind the scenes of political life.
Unlike the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, who drives Washington's legislative agenda as the leader of the majority party, the speaker of South Korea's parliament is legally bound to disavow party affiliation. after an election to maintain neutrality. Most speakers also retire after their term.
But Woo still has decisive actions to measure throughout the recent crisis they seem to have dispensed with the traditional view of the speaker and the role.
“It was heartening to see someone like him step up and act decisively in such a critical time,” Yoo Junghoon, a lawyer and political columnist, told Al Jazeera.
“It allowed voters – young and old – to understand that there are still such capable politicians,” Yoo said.
South Korean youth even nicknamed Woo “National Assembly Thor” – a nod to his role and the Marvel superhero's wielding of his mighty hammer.
A recent Gallup Korea poll showed that 56 percent of respondents expressed trust in Woo, an unusual figure in a country where trust in the National Assembly has dropped to just 20.6 percent , according to a report OECD 2024 Study.
Student activist to 'Thor' of constitutional methods
As a young student activist, Woo was imprisoned for three years after protesting against the military dictatorship that extended martial law in 1980, following the assassination of President Park Chung-hee in 1979.
The crackdown culminated in the deadly Gwangju Uprising in May 1980.
After President Yoon declared martial law on the night of December 3, 67-year-old Woo scaled the fence of the National Assembly after police blocked the entrance to try to prevent to force lawmakers to step in and hold a vote to reverse the president's order.
“I knew we had the constitutional authority to lift martial law,” Woo later recalled in a press conference.
“I didn't hesitate. I had to get into the convention, no matter what,” he said.
Even as South Korean special forces soldiers advanced on the assembly building, Woo insisted on following the proper legislative procedures despite intense pressure from anxious politicians urging the speed up the process by cutting a few corners.
“In times like this, it is even more important to follow the correct procedure without error,” Woo told his worried colleagues in the surrounding assembly room.
At one point, soldiers came dangerously close to entering the main chamber where lawmakers were voting, prompting a tense standoff with assembly staff.
The crucial vote went ahead, with the 190 lawmakers present – of the 300-seat Senate – voting to restore martial law.
“Many comments on social media questioned why (Woo) was so fixated on following legislative procedures,” said Yoo, a political columnist.
“But now, even those who are against them (against President Yoon) cannot find fault with the process he stood for,” said Yoo.
Bong Young-shik, a researcher at Yonsei University's Institute of North Korean Studies, attributed the peaceful resolution of the chaotic situation, without civilian casualties, to Woo's emphasis on scrupulous adherence to constitutional procedures.
“In such an unexpectedly dire situation, both conservatives and promoters had found Woo to be reliable,” said Bong.
“We saw that this approach worked exactly as intended,” he said.
“South Korea is strong. Its people are smart'
Woo also followed strict constitutional procedures in the first, failed impeachment vote against President Yoonon December 7, to declare martial law and bring the country to a state of emergency.
With Yoon's ruling party boycotting the vote to block the impeachment attempt, Woo held the legislative session open for hours, an unusual move, urging politicians to return and their constitutional duty to vote achieve his achievement.
Two of the ruling party lawmakers returned to the chamber to cast their ballots.
Woo only closed the session at 9:20 p.m., explaining that he could no longer let the protesters, who had gathered outside the assembly in freezing weather to demand Yoon's impeachment, wait. no limit for output.
After the successful, second impeachment vote held a week later, Woo called for a return to normality in all aspects of life in South Korea and for the public to move forward together.
“I hope the end of your year will be a little happier,” Woo said at the time, encouraging South Koreans to resume Christmas holiday celebrations and gatherings, noting the toll taken by the disruption to struggling small businesses at a key time of the year.
“His words immediately took on meaning,” said Yoo, the political columnist.
Woo has admitted that the rise in public profile and popularity is new, but with rare humility.
“I have heard young people call me the 'National Assembly Thor'.” It's fun for me,” he said at a recent press conference.
He brought new public attention to the speaker's role in politics not to himself personally, but to the collective efforts of the assembly's lawmakers, workers, as well as involved citizens.
When asked about his own future ambitions, including a possible presidential bid, Woo dismissed the idea.
Instead, he emphasized the need for constitutional reform to address the recurring instability that has plagued South Korea's presidency since its transition to democracy in 1987.
“Our current constitution, drafted in 1987, is outdated,” he said, adding that it needed “reforms that reflect social changes in the last four decades”.
Woo also had a message for people around the world who had watched in shock as South Korean troops were deployed during President Yoon's brief declaration of martial law.
“South Korea is strong. His people are smart,” he said.
“Although the world may be fooled by the declaration of martial law, South Korea remains secure, stable and confident in the future,” he said.
