Democratic Party to Pursue Constitutional Referendum in First Half of Next Year

The Democratic Party of Korea officially launched its constitutional amendment task force at the National Assembly on the 20th, moving to hold a constitutional referendum in the first half of next year. That morning, the party held a launch press briefing attended by Chairman Kim Min-seok and task force head Kim Tae-nyeon, accelerating discussions on constitutional reform. The move came just two days after President Lee Jae-myung, at a press conference on the 18th, dismissed the opposition's suspicions of an amendment aimed at extending his tenure, saying he had "no intention of seeking a second term."

At the briefing, Democratic Party Chairman Kim Min-seok said, "We have clearly addressed the obstacles raised by the opposition. It is now time to shift from nitpicking to serious discussion of constitutional reform." He added, "The spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement and the Busan-Masan Uprising must be enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution. As the successor to President Kim Young-sam, who made May 18 the historical identity of the civilian government, does the People Power Party have any reason to oppose this?" he repeatedly urged, calling on the opposition to join the discussions. His message was to push forward with reforms to the power structure and political institutions based on public consensus.

Chung Tae-ho, secretary-general of the task force, said the panel plans to build consensus and draft an amendment proposal by the end of the year, and produce an agreed-upon bill by March or April of next year. He added that consultations would proceed on a dual track with both established parties and civil society organizations.