Seoul: Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung stated on Monday his agreement with the necessity of revising the Constitution but emphasized that the priority should be to resolve the social unrest caused by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law initiative.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee's comments came a day after National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik suggested conducting a national referendum on constitutional revision concurrently with the upcoming presidential election. This election is mandated to occur within 60 days following Yoon's removal by the Constitutional Court last Friday. Lee dismissed Woo's proposal by asserting, "Constitutional revision is necessary, but ending the insurrection must come first."
In addition to impeachment, Yoon is currently facing criminal trials on charges of insurrection related to his brief martial law declaration on December 3. Lee highlighted the legal complexities involved in holding a referendum alongside the election, noting that under current law, early voting is not permitted for referendums, which complicates Woo's proposal. He mentioned his conditional agreement with the amendment, stating, "If the National Referendum Act is revised and a constitutional amendment becomes practically feasible, we can proceed with it right away."
Lee also expressed his conditional support for a constitutional amendment that would incorporate the spirit of the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju and tighten the criteria for declaring martial law. As a prominent figure in the political landscape, Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, is regarded as a leading contender in the upcoming race. The government is expected to confirm June 3 as the election date during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.