One of the key issues to penetrate the 'Lee Jae-myung era' is 'constitutional amendment.' President Lee Jae-myung's promise for constitutional amendment is interpreted as a plan to graduate from the '87 system' (the government of Korea that was established after the 9th constitutional amendment revised due to the June 1987 uprising) and open the door to the 7th republic.
President Lee is pushing for constitutional amendments as part of his presidential campaign promises to change the current single five-year term for the presidency to a four-year term with re-election. While this promise aims to secure continuity in governance and implement responsible politics, there are also observations that it may be a strategy for a specific party candidate's long-term rule. The promise to designate Sejong Special Self-Governing City, an 'administrative complex city,' as the 'administrative capital' through constitutional amendment is also something to watch closely.
◇ Implementing responsible politics through 'four-year re-election system'… Criticism of long-term rule strategy
President Lee Jae-myung specifically revealed his 'constitutional amendment pledge' through Facebook on the 18th of last month. The core of the promise was to include the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement in the constitution and to introduce a four-year re-election system for the presidency.
Regarding the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the constitution, President Lee said, 'By specifying the history of democracy in the constitution, let us further solidify democracy in Korea.' As there has been initial social consensus regarding the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the constitution, there are observations that if discussions on the constitutional amendment progress, it can be reflected quickly. Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party and Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, who ran against President Lee Jae-myung, have also expressed positive positions regarding the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the constitution.
Positions regarding the presidential term vary by party. President Lee Jae-myung proposed a 'four-year re-election system,' but the People Power Party views a 'four-year term limit' as an alternative. Re-election (連任) refers to being continuously re-elected (連), while a term limit (重任) means it can happen again (重).
The currently disclosed plans for the Democratic Party's 'four-year re-election constitutional amendment' do not include the applicability to the sitting president or any limits on the number of terms. If there are no separate regulations on the number of re-elections, long-term rule like that of Russia's Vladimir Putin may be possible. In response, people from the People Power Party criticized that 'the expression of 're-election' used by the candidate contains the potential for long-term rule.'
Regarding the method of electing the president, President Lee proposed the introduction of a 'runoff voting system.' This aims to elect a president who receives more than half of the voter support to secure democratic legitimacy. While the intention to prevent voter ballots from becoming wasted votes is understandable, there are concerns that it could lead to too many candidates and extend the election period, ultimately increasing the financial and social expenses associated with voting.
◇ 'Heavenly relocation theory' raised during every election… Will it be realized this time?
'I will quickly build the Sejong parliamentary building and move there, and after going through a national vote to change the constitution, I will also move the presidential office.' President Lee Jae-myung stated this during a field campaign in Nasoong-dong, Sejong City on the 31st of last month.
President Lee and the Democratic Party announced the 'completion of administrative capital in Sejong City' as a presidential campaign promise. Specifically, they stated that they would construct the Sejong parliamentary building and the presidential office in Sejong by the end of the current government's term in 2030 and push for a complete transfer of the National Assembly and the presidential office through social consensus. They also mentioned that they would enact the 'Special Law for Administrative Capital' that contains the roadmap for these efforts.
The Democratic Party holds that completing Sejong City as the administrative capital is essential for addressing overcrowding issues in the capital region and promoting balanced national development. They are also considering plans to transfer major public institutions to Sejong City to strengthen its administrative functions.
Experts also view the expansion of Sejong City's role as an administrative city positively. Park Hap-soo, a concurrent professor at the Graduate School of Real Estate at Korea University, said, 'Considering the business travel expenses and administrative waste of civil servants commuting between Seoul and Sejong, we should proceed with the transfer of the National Assembly to enable Sejong to fulfill its actual role as an administrative city.'
However, if the promise of the administrative capital loses momentum during the process of promotion, there are concerns that it could become a case of 'government-led speculative real estate.' A real estate expert who requested anonymity said, 'In the past, promises for the 'administrative capital, Sejong' came up during important elections to capture public sentiment in Chungnam. Each time, real estate prices fluctuated significantly,' and added, 'Since this policy has a significant impact not only on the state but also on the market, it seems important to promote it steadily.'