Song Young-gil: "I'm the first to oppose a constitutional amendment for President Lee's re-election... Why keep clamoring about something that can't happen?"
Democratic Party lawmaker Song Young-gil said on the 14th that, regarding the opposition's demand that President Lee Jae-myung declare he will not seek re-election, "a constitutional amendment for re-election is impossible, and I am the first to oppose it." In an interview with BBS Radio's "Jung Hye-seung's Morning Journal" that day, Song countered, "The National Assembly won't consent, so why keep clamoring about something that can't happen?" Regarding the opposition's demand for such a declaration, he said, "They're raising an uproar with the president over something that can't be done."
He also cited procedural grounds. Song explained, "For an amendment to pass, it must be approved by two-thirds of the sitting members of the National Assembly and then put to a national referendum. It's impossible for the Democratic Party to reach 200 seats, so it can't happen. If the People Power Party won't go along, it simply can't be done." He then pointed to Article 128, Clause 2 of the Constitution, adding, "Amending even the provision that a constitutional amendment extending or changing the presidential term has no effect on the sitting president is impossible." He said, "I myself opposed it, so how could it pass? Could it ever get through the National Assembly?"
Song also drew the line at pursuing a special counsel law that would include the power to withdraw indictments over fabricated prosecutions. "The president isn't the one who passes it. Party leader Kim Min-seok won't push it in the National Assembly," he said, adding, "I told Chairman Kim it shouldn't be done." "Exposing fabricated prosecutions is what matters," he said. "My consistent view is that there is no need to include the power to withdraw indictments in the special counsel law."
He took a different stance regarding remarks made on the 12th by Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, who criticized the government's push for prosecutorial reform, saying, "The president should punish the (insurrection) forces, so why is he trembling in fear before them?" "She may feel that way, having focused on prosecutorial reform, but I hope she devotes herself to her duties as governor," Song said.
On the controversy over the re-election amendment and the special counsel law granting the power to withdraw indictments, Song said, "Both are matters for the National Assembly, so there's nothing to worry about. Nor is it something the press should be pressuring the president over."
