Korean Lawmaker Buries Time Capsule to Honor Democracy’s Triumph Over Martial Law

Speaker Woo Won-shik on Thursday buried a time capsule in the front yard of the National Assembly. In it, was the gavel he used when he announced the passage of a resolution overturning former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.

The time capsule, containing memorabilia from the night of martial law, was buried to mark the 77th anniversary of Constitution Day. It is set to be opened 100 years from now.

The ceremony, attended by Woo and other parliamentary leaders including Deputy Speakers Reps. Joo Ho-young and Lee Hack-young, also saw the unveiling of a stone monument commemorating the day the National Assembly thwarted the implementation of martial law.

The monument bears the inscription, “The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, the last bastion of democracy.”
Woo explained that the monument symbolizes the National Assembly’s crucial role in safeguarding the constitutional order, alongside the citizens, as the country’s ultimate defense of democratic principles.

Measuring approximately 5 meters in width and 1.2 meters in height, the monument was crafted from stones sourced from the Mugunghwa garden near the main entrance of the Assembly complex.

Woo, a veteran politician who previously served five terms as a Democratic Party lawmaker, assumed the position of Assembly Speaker in June of the previous year.