Jo Kyung-tae: "If You Support Martial Law, Resign as Lawmaker and Guard the Official Residence"

People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae said on the 14th, "If the December 3 emergency martial law is justified, then members of the National Assembly should not be doing their duties from now on," adding, "Don't come to the National Assembly, but go to the presidential residence and take the lead in protecting President Yoon Seok-yeol there."

Rep. Cho Kyung-tae of the People Power Party is attending an emergency party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

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In a CBS radio interview that day, Rep. Cho said, "Those who support martial law have no qualifications to be members of the National Assembly," and added, "If you look at Proclamation No. 1 of the emergency martial law, isn't it clear that the intention is to neutralize and dissolve the National Assembly?" He continued, "If you want to protect the president, you should stay overnight at the Hannam-dong residence and protect him there, so why come to the National Assembly and raise your voice?" and said, "I see it as an act against the will of the majority of the people."

Regarding People Power Party members gathering in front of the presidential residence to protect President Yoon, Rep. Cho said, "If they go again, it will have a considerable negative impact on our party," adding, "We elected members of the National Assembly to protect the people, not to protect a president who has carried out illegal and unconstitutional emergency martial law. Please get a grip."

On the recent rise in support for the People Power Party, he said, "The increase in approval ratings is not because our party is doing well," and added, "We should not be swayed by every rise and fall." He said, "We need to look at the people and the development of our country, but how can we use the party name People Power if we are defending a president who tried to regress our country 30 or 40 years back with emergency martial law?" and emphasized, "Our party name is People Power, not the president's power."

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