President Lee Jae-myung affirms need for constitutional revision to disperse power

President Lee Jae-myung, who is on a state visit to France (an official visit made in the capacity of head of state), said in a written interview with the French daily Le Monde, published on Sept. 6 (local time), that a constitutional revision (the act of revising the Constitution, the nation's fundamental law) is needed to strengthen the president's accountability and share power. It amounts to a sitting president stepping forward to voluntarily divide his own power. President Lee emphasized, "I will ensure that the democracy won through countless sacrifices is never under threat again." The revision plan is underpinned by a focus on preventing a recurrence of the political crisis triggered by former President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. The president explained that the proposed amendments include stronger requirements for declaring emergency martial law and an explicit mention of the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising in the preamble of the Constitution.

He also stressed his resolve to reopen dialogue between North Korea and the United States. President Lee said, "Through a pacemaker role, I will help facilitate the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States." At the same time, he noted, "I do not think the wall of distrust built up over many years will come down in a short period with just a few knocks." Although he did not directly mention "denuclearization" in the interview, he predicted that "effective measures to curb North Korea's nuclear capabilities could also be discussed" in the process.

President Lee also laid out his stance on relations with the United States, saying, "I do not think U.S. President Donald Trump is raising doubts about the sustainability of the South Korea-U.S. alliance." He said he understands Trump's position as a call to move beyond the traditional view of the alliance and reflect the demands of a changing era. Accordingly, the Korean government, he said, has been raising South Korea's role and burden within the alliance by increasing defense spending and steadily expanding the key military capabilities it needs.

President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung attended a dinner with creators from the five continents held at La Colombe d'Or in Nice, France, on Sept. 6 (local time), where they joined French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife. President Lee's state visit to France runs through Sept. 9.