Seoul: Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Sunday proposed an amendment to the nation's Constitution that would allow a president to serve two four-year terms. The proposal is expected to help reduce presidential powers because a president could be judged by voters when the first four-year term is over, Lee said in a Facebook posting.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee, who has maintained a solid lead in opinion polls for the June 3 election, has urged the National Assembly to form a special committee to discuss the proposed amendment. South Korea's current single, five-year term presidency was established in a 1987 constitutional amendment.
Lee suggested holding a referendum on the amendment during the local elections next year or the general elections in 2028. Additionally, he advocated for the introduction of a runoff system for presidential elections to "minimize unnecessary social conflict" and proposed requiring parliamentary recommendation for appointing prime ministers and parliamentary approval for heads of government agencies.
In his proposal, Lee also called for limiting presidential veto powers and stipulated that the president must seek parliamentary consent to declare martial law. "Even in an emergency, if it does not get parliamentary approval within 24 hours, it should automatically lose its effect," Lee emphasized.
After attending a ceremony marking the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising, Lee clarified to reporters that the proposed constitutional amendment for a two-term presidency would not apply to the current president. "Our Constitution outlines that a constitutional amendment does not apply to the sitting president," Lee stated. He suggested that if the amendment takes place immediately after the local elections, it would be suitably timed.
Lee underscored the importance of carefully considering the terms for the country's final decision maker, stressing that stabilizing the country and improving citizens' livelihoods are priorities over the constitutional amendment. He advocated for conducting the amendment alongside the next local elections.
Emphasizing the need for collaboration, Lee remarked that constitutional amendments cannot be made unilaterally and urged for a focus on areas where compromise is possible instead of pushing for an all-out revision.