Unlikely political ‘Thor’ emerges from South Korea’s martial law crisis

Seoul – South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik has emerged as an unlikely symbol of leadership during the country’s ongoing political turmoil, triggered by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s brief declaration of martial law on December 3.

Despite holding South Korea’s second-highest office after the presidency, the assembly’s speaker has historically had a low-profile role, operating 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, South Korea’s parliamentary speaker is required by law to renounce party affiliation upon election to maintain neutrality. The majority of speakers also retire after their term.

But Woo’s decisive yet measured actions throughout the recent crisis appear to have upended the traditional view of the speaker and their role.

“Seeing someone like him step up and act decisively in such a critical moment was refreshing,” Yoo Junghoon, a lawyer and political columnist, told Al Jazeera.

“It allowed voters – both young and old – to realise that such capable politicians still exist,” Yoo said.

South Korean youth even gave Woo the nickname “National Assembly Thor” — a nod to his gavel of office 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 fallen to just 20.6 percent, according to an OECD survey 2024.

Student protester to ‘Thor’ of constitutional procedure

As a young student activist, Woo was imprisoned for three years after protesting against the military dictatorship that expanded martial law in 1980, following the assassination of President Park Chung-hee in 1979.

The crackdown culminated in the deadly Gwangju Uprising of May 1980.

After President Yoon declared martial law on the night of December 3, the 67-year-old Woo scaled the National Assembly fence after police barricaded the entrance to try and prevent lawmakers from entering and holding a vote to overturn the president’s order.

“I knew we had the constitutional authority to lift martial law,” Woo recalled later in a news conference.

“I didn’t hesitate. I had to get inside the assembly, no matter what,” he said.

Even as South Korean special forces soldiers advanced on the assembly building, Woo insisted on following the correct legislative procedures despite mounting pressure from anxious politicians urging him to speed up the process by possibly cutting a few corners.

“In moments like this, following the correct procedure without error is even more vital,” Woo told his worried colleagues in the surrounding assembly chamber.

At one point, troops came dangerously close to entering the main chamber where lawmakers were voting, prompting a tense standoff with assembly staff.

The crucial vote proceeded, with all of the 190 lawmakers present – of the 300-seat Assembly – voting in favour of repealing martial law.

“There were many reactions on social media questioning why [Woo] was so fixated on following legislative procedures,” Yoo, the political columnist said.

“But now, even those opposing impeachment [against President Yoon] can’t find fault with the process he upheld,” Yoo said.

Bong Young-shik, a research fellow at Yonsei University’s Institute for North Korean Studies, attributed the peaceful resolution of the chaotic situation, without civilian casualties, to Woo’s emphasis on adhering diligently to constitutional procedures.

“In such an unexpected and grave situation, both conservatives and progressives found Woo trustworthy,” Bong said.

“We saw that this approach worked exactly as intended,” he said.

‘South Korea is strong. Its people are resilient’

Woo also adhered to strict constitutional procedures during the first, failed impeachment vote against President Yoon, on December 7, for declaring martial law and plunging the country into crisis.

With Yoon’s governing party boycotting the vote to block the impeachment attempt, Woo kept the legislative session open for hours, an unusual move, urging politicians to return and fulfil their constitutional duty to cast a vote.

Two governing party lawmakers did return to the chamber to cast their ballots.

Woo only closed the session at about 9:20pm, explaining that he could no longer let the protesters, who had gathered outside the assembly in freezing weather to demand Yoon’s impeachment, wait indefinitely for a result.

After the successful, second impeachment vote held a week later, Woo called for a return to normalcy in all aspects of life in South Korea and for the public to move forward together.

“I hope your year-end is a bit happier,” Woo said at the time, encouraging South Koreans to resume Christmas holiday celebrations and gatherings, mindful of the toll the turmoil had taken on struggling small businesses at a key time of year.

“His words conveyed meaning instantly,” said Yoo, the political columnist.

Woo has acknowledged his rising public profile and newfound popularity, but with rare humility.

“I heard young people call me the ‘National Assembly Thor’. I find it amusing,” he said during a recent news conference.

He attributed the newfound public attention on the speaker’s role in politics not to himself personally, but to the collective efforts of the assembly’s lawmakers, staff, as well as engaged citizens.

Asked about his own future ambitions, including a potential presidential bid, Woo dismissed the idea.

Instead, he emphasised the need for constitutional reform to address the recurring instability that has plagued South Korea’s presidencies since its transition to democracy in 1987.

“Our current constitution, drafted in 1987, is outdated,” he said, adding that it needed “reforms that reflect the societal changes of the past four decades”.

Woo also had a message for people around the world who had watched with shock as South Korean troops were deployed during President Yoon’s brief declaration of martial law.

“South Korea is strong. Its people are resilient,” he said.

“While the world may have been startled by the martial law declaration, South Korea remains secure, stable, and confident in its future,” he added.

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