National Assembly speaker to lead 'dark tour' commemorating lifting of martial law
Published: 26 Nov. 2025, 14:44
Updated: 26 Nov. 2025, 16:58
![A sign marking the section of the National Assembly wall that Speaker Woo Won-shik and others scaled during the Dec. 3 martial law declaration in 2024 is seen on the perimeter of the legislature in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Dec. 14, 2024, the day the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against then-President Yoon Suk Yeol. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/11/26/41f38360-598f-479d-a0ee-6a66708e057e.jpg)
A sign marking the section of the National Assembly wall that Speaker Woo Won-shik and others scaled during the Dec. 3 martial law declaration in 2024 is seen on the perimeter of the legislature in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Dec. 14, 2024, the day the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against then-President Yoon Suk Yeol. [YONHAP]
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik will personally guide citizens through the special “dark tour” scheduled to take place at the Assembly complex next month, marking the one-year anniversary of the vote to lift martial law.
The National Assembly Secretariat announced Wednesday that it will host the event from Dec. 3 to 5 to commemorate the historic session held a year ago. Dark tours refer to visits to sites associated with tragic events such as war, disaster, massacre or catastrophe, with the aim of remembrance and reflection.
“This event was organized to recall the night when lawmakers swiftly passed a resolution to lift martial law through constitutional procedures despite the urgency of the situation,” the Assembly Secretariat said.
Woo made headlines on Dec. 3, 2024, when he scaled the Assembly wall in Yeouido, western Seoul, at night to hold the plenary session for the vote. At 5 p.m. on Dec. 3, exactly one year later, Woo will revisit key locations from that night with the public.
These include the area where he climbed the wall, the Assembly field where martial law helicopters landed and the second-floor lobby of the main building where lawmakers faced off against heavily armed martial law forces.
Participation is open to 190 members of the public — the same number as the lawmakers who gathered to pass the resolution under military blockade. There will be three more sessions to be held on Dec. 4 and two on Dec. 5.
Registration is available on the National Assembly’s online reservation system starting at 3 p.m. Wednesday on a first-come, first-served basis.
Speaking in a YouTube video the same day, Woo said, “We’re preparing a variety of events including docent-led tours and academic forums. The focus will be on what the National Assembly’s vote to lift martial law means in the context of global democratic history.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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