On the 24th, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik warned Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, saying, "I hope you can distinguish well between things that should not be done, like appointing constitutional judges, and things that should be done."
That morning, Speaker Woo made this remark in the National Assembly plenary session shortly after Acting Prime Minister Han concluded his budget speech on the supplementary budget.
Speaker Woo criticized, saying, "As already confirmed by the Constitutional Court ruling, the idea that the president and the acting president have the same authority is contrary to the constitution."
In response, members of the People Power Party protested fiercely, but Speaker Woo persevered with his remarks. He stated, "Acting Prime Minister, you need to distinguish well between the tasks that should be done, such as answering questions from the government and attending the National Assembly, and the things that should not be done, like appointing constitutional judges."
He added, "This is a very serious time for the nation. The aftermath of the Dec. 3 emergency martial law is still present. The difficulties and chaos surrounding people's livelihood, which have been directly hit, have increased," and noted, "As the prime minister who assisted the impeached president, it is a time when feeling a great sense of responsibility as acting president is not enough."
Speaker Woo emphasized, saying, "This is not about discussing any particular faction," and added, "During this serious emergency martial law and the impeachment of the president, as the prime minister who assisted the president, I speak on behalf of the people, saying that we must handle this matter responsibly so that our people's lives do not fall into despair."