Woo Won-sik "Yoon's Statement Should Not Cause Social Confusion... Proposes Immediate Ruling and Opposition Leaders' Meeting"

"Emergency Martial Law to Warn the National Assembly Absolutely Unacceptable"
"National Instability Must Be Resolved as Soon as Possible"

Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-sik stated on the 12th regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol's address to the nation, "The presidential address must not cause another misjudgment or social confusion."

Woo Won-sik, Speaker of the National Assembly, is holding a press conference on the current political situation at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

In a statement released that day, Speaker Woo said, "It is devastating. Under no circumstances is the democratic constitutional order a means of politics. It is a historical, social, and national consensus." He added, "Declaring martial law to warn the National Assembly is absolutely unacceptable under the democratic constitutional order."

Speaker Woo further stated, "It means that it is acceptable to destroy the democratic constitutional order for political purposes and to use the fundamental rights of the people as a means for political purposes," and added, "I immediately propose a meeting with the leaders of both ruling and opposition parties. We must resolve the national instability as quickly as possible."

Earlier, President Yoon said in his address that morning, "The exercise of the president's authority to declare martial law is a governing act that is not subject to judicial review, like the exercise of the pardon power or diplomatic authority," and stated, "Whether I am impeached or investigated, I will face it with confidence."

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