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'Dark tour' to mark martial law anniversary with art and guides at National Assembly

Published: 18 Nov. 2025, 14:06 Updated: 18 Nov. 2025, 16:19

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik scales a fence of the parliament building in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Dec. 3, 2024, to circumvent police blocking people from entering parliament. [YONHAP]

The National Assembly is preparing a series of commemorative events ahead of the first anniversary of the Dec. 3 martial law declaration that include a so-called dark tour and a media facade that will project images onto the main Assembly building.

Tak Hyun-min, an event planning adviser to the National Assembly, is organizing the events.

“Ahead of the one-year mark of the Dec. 3 martial law, National Assembly Speaker Woo asked if we could create something memorable, so we’ve prepared a few things,” Tak said, speaking on MBC radio on Tuesday. Tak explained that the planned tour will take participants to key sites involved in the events of that day.

“We’re planning a tour of significant locations, including where martial law troops descended, the site where helicopters landed, the spots where President Lee Jae Myung and Speaker Woo Won-shik scaled the walls, where windows were shattered, where fire extinguishers were used in resistance and where citizens clashed with martial law forces,” he said.

Applications will be accepted from the public and the tour will include explanations from individuals who were present during the events — such as Speaker Woo and other lawmakers who resisted the martial law on the ground. The program is expected to run for about a week, with time slots available from morning to evening.

Tak also revealed plans for a media facade that will project images and video footage of the day’s events onto the front of the Assembly’s main building.

Armed martial law troops are seen attempting to enter the National Assembly building in Yeouido, western Seoul on Dec. 4, 2024. [YONHAP]

“Conventional exhibitions are hard for many people to see and struggle to convey the full significance,” he said. “We’re considering a one-time projection across the entire facade of the main building at a designated time.”

The 20-minute presentation will combine video clips, photographs and symbolic imagery. “To fill the entire facade with images, we’ll need a lot of materials,” Tak added, noting that the Assembly may ask the public next week to submit any photos or videos from the events of Dec. 3.

He also suggested creating an art installation at the site where the wall was scaled. “The act of scaling the wall is deeply symbolic and meaningful,” Tak said, adding that he is discussing with installation artists how to visually distinguish the wall, possibly by using a different color or installing an object at the spot.

“Personally, I think it would be powerful to remove the section of the wall that was scaled by President Lee or Speaker Woo,” Tak said. “If the wall continues uninterrupted except for that one missing section, people will intuitively understand why — and that absence will continue to prompt reflection.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]