Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, brought out the 'constitutional amendment card' on the 18th, just over two weeks before the election, due to a 'fear of power monopoly.' The conservative voter base, fragmented by the state of emergency and impeachment, has emerged as a casting vote in this presidential election. However, there are significant concerns among them regarding the Democratic Party's 'monopoly of legislative and executive powers,' making it necessary for the candidate to allay these fears.
The People Power Party immediately targeted this point. Kim Yong-tae, the emergency response committee chairman, said during a meeting of the central election strategy committee on the 19th, "Lee Jae-myung's '4-year presidency re-election' constitutional amendment plan carries the Democratic Party's intent for long-term rule." He also noted, "While the superficial justification is about amending the imperial presidency system, a deeper look reveals that it is a recalibration of power and a calculation of political advantages and disadvantages." The term 'Putin-style long-term rule constitutional amendment' was also mentioned in the meeting.
Recently, it has been reported that there was consensus in a closed meeting of the leadership to focus on the argument that it is a 'constitutional amendment for permanent rule.' According to the constitution, amendments do not apply to the incumbent president, as related provisions are specified in the supplementary clauses. The candidate also reiterated this point. However, a People Power Party leadership member stated, "We understand it as essentially considering permanent rule," adding, "Isn't it possible to change those provisions while amending the constitution?"
The key point of the constitutional amendment pledge announced by the candidate the day before is 'distribution of presidential power.' The amendment document, exceeding 2,600 characters, was drafted in line with the candidate's declaration to 'strengthen the responsibilities of the president and distribute power,' including a 4-year presidency re-election system, a runoff voting system, and restrictions on veto power.
Specifically, it includes ▲ 4-year presidency re-election ▲ presidential runoff voting system ▲ restrictions on presidential veto power ▲ National Assembly approval system for declaring a state of emergency or martial law ▲ transfer of the Board of Audit and Inspection to the National Assembly ▲ nomination of the Prime Minister by the National Assembly ▲ National Assembly consent system for the heads of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, Prosecutor General, Korean National Police Agency, Broadcasting and Communications Commission chairperson, and National Human Rights Commission chairperson.
The Board of Audit and Inspection, which is currently under the direct authority of the president, will be transferred to the National Assembly, and both the Prime Minister and the heads of investigative agencies will require National Assembly approval for their appointments. The Prime Minister nomination system means that the National Assembly will recommend multiple candidates for Prime Minister, and the president will select one from among them for appointment. The candidate stated, "It is necessary to change the system to ensure that the president cannot misuse power for a military coup or abuse state power to trample on the people's rights."
The candidate has been evaluated as being passive regarding constitutional amendments. During a TV debate on the 23rd of last month, while running in the Democratic Party's primary, the candidate remarked, "I question whether the issue of constitutional amendment is so urgent. It is not directly related to the issues of people's living conditions, and a revised constitution would not be implemented immediately, so it is necessary to focus on economic and livelihood issues with some leeway." As of the 12th of this month, the candidate had announced a 'top 10 policy pledge' that did not include a constitutional amendment, excluding it from the previous election's top 10 pledges.
Immediately after the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik proposed 'simultaneous voting for the presidential election and constitutional amendment.' At that time, the candidate opposed this, saying, "Ending the civil war comes first." Of course, the Democratic Party maintains that the candidate has never opposed a constitutional amendment, stating that the People Power Party brought it up to dilute the responsibility for civil unrest while accommodating their base's demand for 'priority on ending the civil war.'
This constitutional amendment pledge emerged while the Democratic Party is pushing for legal revisions that would neutralize the criminal trials related to the candidate. This includes changing the law so that the Supreme Court cannot penalize election law violations found guilty in purpose or, if elected president, halting criminal trials.
Lee Jong-geun, a political commentator, noted, "There is a general fear in society that Lee Jae-myung will exercise all powers without checks and balances during his rule," adding, "The candidate aims to alleviate such concerns as much as possible through the discourse of 'constitutional amendment' and to quell various controversies surrounding him." A campaign committee official stated, "The candidate is aware that a kind of phobia exists among centrist and conservative groups. Resolving this is the final task."