National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik delivered a message to the Chinese leadership that South Korea is being managed stably despite the state of emergency and impeachment situation. He noted that successfully hosting this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju is crucial to demonstrating South Korea's resilience, so they decided to actively request the attendance of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
On the 6th, Speaker Woo met with the Korean press corps in Beijing and said, "The most important purpose of this visit is to tell the Chinese leadership that South Korea is being managed stably and that it remains steadfast in accordance with the constitutional order," adding that "addressing instability also aligns with national interests."
The Speaker emphasized this point to Zhao Leji, Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the day before. He said, "South Korea has the resilience of democracy and will proceed in accordance with constitutional procedures," and stated, "Our people have a DNA of uniting and overcoming crises stronger than any other country, and I am confident that our people will protect South Korea well, as historically proven."
Chinese officials, including Chairperson Zhao, reportedly nodded in agreement and stated that they are "fully aware of South Korea's resilience."
Regarding the possibility of a meeting with Xi Jinping during his visit to China, he said, "There will be an opportunity to meet." Speaker Woo noted that if he meets with Xi Jinping, he will reiterate the stable situation in Korea and also request participation in the Gyeongju APEC summit. He stated, "This year's Gyeongju APEC summit should serve as an opportunity to demonstrate South Korea's resilience and robust economic system to the world," and added, "This year South Korea hosts the APEC summit, while next year China will. Thus, creating favorable conditions for a successful summit in Gyeongju and advancing Korea-China relations is significant for the visit of Xi to South Korea."
Speaker Woo plans to actively demand the lifting of the "Korean Wave Ban" from the Chinese side. He mentioned that while all Chinese cultural content can be enjoyed in Korea, Korean cultural content cannot be enjoyed in China, stating, "It's essential to further develop Korea-China relations, enhance exchanges between Korean and Chinese youth, and promote our beloved Korean Wave culture in China." He noted that the issue of the Korean Wave Ban was also conveyed to Chairperson Zhao the day before.
He also agreed to request cooperation regarding the difficulties faced by our corporations. Speaker Woo emphasized, "Currently, about 19,000 of our corporations are operating here, facing hardships such as discrimination between domestic and foreign corporations and taxation on research and development (R&D) investments," adding that "listening to and conveying the voices of our corporations is very important."
To demand the lifting of the Korean Wave Ban and other issues from China, Korea also needs to provide a "gift" to China. China already implemented visa exemptions for South Korean passport holders last year. In this regard, Speaker Woo suggested, "Since the APEC summit will be held in Korea and China, we might consider lifting visas temporarily for the duration of that period." The government is allowing visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists arriving by cruise ships starting this year. It has also decided to actively consider allowing visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists coming by flights or regular passenger ships.
Meanwhile, as the briefing was the first time Speaker Woo faced the press following the state of emergency declared in December of last year, attention was also focused on his future political steps. Speaker Woo remarked, "There is so much for the National Assembly to do right now, and it's awkward to be asked about public opinion polls regarding (potential presidential candidates)." He continued, "I have in mind that my term as Speaker of the National Assembly ends on May 29, 2026. I worked very hard to become the Speaker and must take responsibility. The National Assembly is at the beginning of gaining public trust, and I will work to create a National Assembly that effectively resolves various issues."
Speaker Woo departed for Harbin that afternoon and is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games on the 7th. He is expected to meet various Asian leaders, including those from Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Thailand, and Brunei, as well as Thomas Bach, Chairperson of the International Olympic Committee.