Woo Won-sik Urges Oh Se-hoon, Who Opposed Illegal Martial Law, to Clarify His Stance on Constitutional Amendment

“A Constitutional Amendment That Makes Unlawful Martial Law Impossible”
“Blocking Lawmakers’ Conscience Votes Will Not Gain Public Support”

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik insisted that the People Power Party should lift its “party-line opposition” regarding the constitutional amendment, which is scheduled for a parliamentary vote on May 7. He also called on Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, to clarify his stance on the constitutional amendment.

On April 22, during an appearance on YTN Radio’s “Jang Sung-chul’s News Myeongdang,” Speaker Woo stated, “It has been 39 years since the last constitutional amendment, and the public will not agree with the idea of prohibiting members from voting by tying them to the party’s official position. Most people believe it should be a free vote.”

Speaker Woo Won-shik is speaking in front of the Busan National University Buma People's Uprising Monument on the 14th. April 14, 2026 [Provided by the National Assembly. Resale and DB prohibited] Yonhap News Agency

Previously, the People Power Party confirmed its opposition to the constitutional amendment as the party’s official stance through a general assembly of lawmakers. This decision was based on concerns that, if the amendment were put to a vote simultaneously with the local elections, the amendment would overshadow the election agenda. Song Eon-seok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, expressed concerns after the general assembly on April 2, saying, “The constitutional amendment will become an election that absorbs everything like a black hole.”

Speaker Woo explained that even when contacting individual lawmakers from the People Power Party, the party-line opposition is proving to be a stumbling block. He said, “I have spoken to many People Power Party lawmakers, and they say there is no reason to oppose the amendment. They find it burdensome to be bound by the party’s official stance.” He emphasized, “Having experienced an era of unlawful martial law, the public felt great danger and confusion. If the spirit of the times is to correct this now, then lawmakers should be allowed to vote according to their conscience. I want to make this point clear once again.”

Speaker Woo also predicted that supporting the constitutional amendment would benefit the People Power Party ahead of the local elections. He said, “The public will genuinely believe it if the party supports a constitutional amendment that makes unlawful martial law impossible. If the party supports the amendment, people will feel it has truly crossed the ‘river of rebellion.’”

Speaker Woo urged Mayor Oh to clarify his stance on the constitutional amendment. He said, “Mayor Oh has also said that unlawful martial law was wrong. Please respond to how you view the party’s official opposition to a constitutional amendment that would make unlawful martial law impossible.”

When the host pointed out that the Democratic Party of Korea did not seem proactive in the constitutional amendment discussions, Speaker Woo responded, “It may be less active because the party is in the process of nominating candidates, but including the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement and the Buma Democratization Uprising in the preamble to the Constitution, and preventing unlawful martial law such as rebellion, is central to the Democratic Party’s identity.” He continued, “If there are any parliamentary leaders or floor parties neglecting efforts to block martial law through this amendment, please criticize them at any time.”

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