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Parliamentary speaker calls on PPP to help pass martial law amendment

Published: 27 Apr. 2026, 18:18 Updated: 05 May. 2026, 12:53

PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 27. [YONHAP]

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik on Monday called on the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) to vote for a constitutional amendment that would require the president to obtain parliamentary approval before declaring martial law.

“The PPP repeatedly stated its opposition to the Dec. 3 martial law, but if the party continues to block a constitutional amendment aimed at preventing any future attempts to impose illegal emergency martial law, it should seriously reflect on whether anyone will still believe the sincerity of its opposition to the Dec. 3, 2024 martial law declaration,” Woo said during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul. “If the amendment fails due to the party’s official stance, the PPP will bear full responsibility.”

Woo's comments come 10 days before the chamber is scheduled to vote on the amendment.

A total of 187 lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and other minor parties proposed the amendment on April 3, a bill drawn up in response to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, for which he faced insurrection charges and was ousted on April 4 of last year.

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok apologized for the martial law on Jan. 7, but he has not voiced support for the constitutional amendment.

“I cannot help but ask Jang what the PPP hopes to gain by squandering this once-in-a-39-year opportunity for constitutional revision,” Woo said. “I have not met any PPP lawmakers who oppose the constitutional amendment, and they say they feel constrained because they are bound by the party position. The party should open up its stance and allow lawmakers to vote according to their own judgment. I plan to request another meeting with Jang, and I will also ask to meet with PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog.”

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok attends a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 27. [YONHAP]

A minimum of 200 votes is required to pass a constitutional amendment before it is put to a nationwide referendum, taking effect only if it is approved by a majority of voters.

The PPP holds 107 seats at the National Assembly, enough to block the amendment. That said, several PPP lawmakers voted in favor of the motion to impeach then-President Yoon on Dec. 14, 2024, which passed with 204 votes in support.

“Joining this constitutional amendment, I believe, is a way for the PPP to move beyond the insurrection narrative and re-establish itself as a healthy conservative party,” Woo said. “I also hope that lawmakers of the PPP will see this as the right path for the people and find the courage to support it.”

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul on April 27. [NEWS1]

The constitutional amendment also includes provisions to include the legacy of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and the 1979 Busan-Masan pro-democracy protests in the preamble of the Constitution.

The May 18 movement was a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju that was violently suppressed under military rule, while the 1979 Busan–Masan pro-democracy protests in Busan and Masan, South Gyeongsang, challenged authoritarian rule and helped trigger broader democratic change in Korea. Including the legacy of these movements in the Constitution’s preamble means formally recognizing them as key historical foundations of Korea’s democracy and embedding their significance and democratic values at the highest level of the country’s legal framework.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]