Woo Won-sik, Speaker, Meets China's No. 3 Zhao Leji: "Korea Is Not Unstable" (Comprehensive)

Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-sik met with the third-ranking official in China on the 5th and conveyed that although South Korea has recently faced difficulties such as martial law and impeachment, it is not unstable.

On the same day, Woo met with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (equivalent to the Speaker of the National Assembly in China), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. He said, "I understand that there are concerns abroad that the Republic of Korea might be unstable recently," adding, "The National Assembly took the lead to immediately stop that event (the declaration of martial law), creating a new history of democracy, and now it is being handled according to constitutional and legal procedures, so the Republic of Korea is not unstable at all."

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He said, "Through this process, we have shown trust in the Republic of Korea, and I would like to once again express my gratitude to the Chinese leaders who have shown concern."

Regarding the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held this year in Gyeongju, Woo said, "This is the first international conference Korea is hosting after overcoming these difficulties, and the National Assembly is making every effort to ensure its successful completion," adding, "I expect President Xi Jinping to definitely attend this APEC summit."

Additionally, Woo expressed gratitude for China's message of condolence following the Jeju Air disaster in December last year and extended condolences to the victims of the strong earthquake that occurred last month in the Tibet Autonomous Region (Xizang) of China.

Woo is on an official visit to China from the 5th to the 9th at the invitation of Chairman Zhao. During the first meeting of the visit, they will discuss strengthening economic cooperation and measures for the preservation and management of independence movement historical sites in China. On the 7th, he plans to attend the opening ceremony of the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games, where he will meet with leaders from various Asian countries and Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Attention is also focused on whether a meeting with President Xi will be arranged.

Accompanying Woo on this trip are Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Tae-nyeon, Park Jung, and Kim Yong-man; People Power Party lawmakers Lee Heon-seung and Bae Hyun-jin; and Innovation Party lawmaker Shin Jang-sik.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.