Speaker's gavel buried in Assembly yard as reminder of Dec. 3 martial law
The time capsule containing memorabilia of the night of martial law, to mark the 77th anniversary of the Constitution Day, will be opened 100 years from this day.
At the ceremony attended by Woo and other parliamentary leaders, including deputy speakers Reps. Joo Ho-young and Lee Hack-young, a stone monument was also set up in remembrance of the day the National Assembly blocked martial law from taking effect.
Inscribed on the monument were the words, "The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, the last bastion of democracy."
Woo said the monument was intended to "signify the National Assembly's role in protecting the constitutional order, together with the people, as the last bastion of democracy in the country."
The monument is about 5 meters wide and 1.2 meters tall, and was made from stones found in the Mugunghwa garden near the main entrance of the Assembly compound.
Woo, formerly a five-time Democratic Party lawmaker, took office as Assembly speaker in June last year.
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