Democratic Party Launches Task Force Led by Kim Tae-nyeon to Discuss Adjusting Presidential and Legislative Powers
The Democratic Party of Korea announced it will launch a task force to promote discussions on constitutional amendment (revision) to redistribute powers between the President and the National Assembly. According to the party on the 26th, the task force will be established as a special party innovation body, and Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, a five-term lawmaker for the Seongnam Sujeong constituency, has been nominated to lead it.
Following President Lee Jae-myung, the top in protocol, and National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik, second in protocol, Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok also brought up 'power structure' restructuring. Discussions on constitutional amendment have repeatedly resurfaced whenever they seemed to die down. Speaker Cho stated last month on the 28th that "the issue of the incumbent president's re-election is ultimately a matter of the people's choice," but explained the next day that he "regrets causing misunderstanding and controversy contrary to his intentions." Subsequently, it was revealed that President Lee Jae-myung stated during a golf meeting with ruling party multi-term lawmakers last month, "We must amend the constitution even if it means shortening my term." Then, on the 14th, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that constitutional amendments—including adjusting presidential and legislative powers, changing to a 4-year mid-term or 4-year re-election system, and strengthening local autonomy and basic rights—were his campaign pledge and consistent stance, bringing the discussion back to the surface.
The opposition immediately voiced its objection. People Power Party Leader Jang Dong-hyuk stated at a meeting marking the first anniversary of his inauguration on the 26th, "South Korea stands at the final threshold of dictatorship," adding, "We will surely stop the attempts to cancel trials and amend the constitution for re-election that would open the door to Lee Jae-myung's dictatorship, together with the people." The People Power Party has demanded President Lee's declaration to forgo re-election as a precondition for constitutional amendment.
A poll conducted by JoWon C&I on behalf of Straight News via 100% wireless ARS between the 22nd and 24th showed that 52.1% opposed a constitutional amendment for a four-year presidential term with possible re-election, which is 7.2 percentage points higher than the 44.9% who supported it. In a Media Tomato survey commissioned by News Tomato on the 22nd and 23rd regarding an amendment to switch to a mid-term or re-election system after shortening the term, opposition also came in at 53.1%. In the JoWon C&I poll, 75.5% of Democratic Party supporters favored the amendment, while in the Media Tomato poll, 51.1% of the progressive bloc showed support.
