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National Assembly speaker hopes ex-President Yoon will repent in prison

Published: 19 Feb. 2026, 18:14 Updated: 19 Feb. 2026, 20:09

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik watches the live broadcast of the first-trial verdict for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who faces charges of being an insurrection ringleader after declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, at the speaker’s office in the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Feb. 19. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik said on Thursday that he hopes former President Yoon Suk Yeol will “repent and sincerely apologize to the people” after receiving a life sentence in the first trial of his insurrection ringleader case.

Woo spoke to reporters outside the speaker’s office after the ruling. “The legal judgment has again confirmed that the Dec. 3 [2024] martial law declaration was an insurrection,” said Woo. He said he watched the live broadcast of the first trial verdict, which started at 3 p.m., from his office.

“The principle is now clear that any power can be exercised only within the framework of the Constitution and the law,” said Woo. “Claims that deny or distort the basic order of our democratic republic and deepen division and conflict in our society must stop.”

Woo also voiced disappointment that the court treated the fact that the insurrection failed as a mitigating factor.

“The insurrection did not fail because it was poorly prepared,” said Woo. “It failed because the National Assembly and the people joined forces to resist and stop it, which makes the ruling regrettable.”

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 EUN-BIN [[email protected]]