National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik said on the 16th ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday that he hopes this year will be one in which the Republic of Korea overcomes crisis and moves onto a path of new leap forward.
In a New Year's greeting posted on Facebook that day, Woo wrote that for that to happen, we need democracy beyond democracy.
He added that only when democracy is proven in the lives of the people can the Republic of Korea move toward a better future, and urged politics to work harder to regain the people's trust and ease the hardships of their livelihoods.
He also stressed that, reflecting on the original commitment at the opening of the 22nd National Assembly—"a National Assembly that protects the people, a National Assembly that moves toward the future"—the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea will fulfill its responsibility and role in the new year.
Woo reaffirmed the protection of the people and a future orientation as standards for operating the National Assembly in the new year, and repeatedly emphasized that changes the people feel in their daily lives are the outcomes of democracy. He also expressed appreciation to public servants, including workers who keep their posts even during the holiday, as well as soldiers, police officers, and firefighters.