Public acceptance is low for a president-led constitutional revision, says Lee Jae-myung

President Lee Jae-myung said on the 4th, during a luncheon meeting with the chairman and executive members of the Constitution Society of Korea at the presidential office, that a president-led constitutional revision could face low public acceptance, and that pursuing revision through bipartisan agreement would be preferable. According to Chairman Jung Dae-chul, the president said in a phone call that "a president-led constitutional revision may have low public acceptance" and that "even with good intentions, my taking the lead too aggressively could widen the scope of misunderstanding."

President Lee also pointed directly to the procedural hurdles to revision. He said, "Requiring the consent of at least two-thirds of National Assembly members is also a high hurdle," adding that "it is desirable for the ruling and opposition parties to find areas of possible agreement in the Assembly and proceed on the basis of that agreement." Chairman Jung reportedly requested at the meeting that the president rein in the ruling party from unilaterally pushing legislation or meddling excessively in the judiciary.

The issue of the return of wartime operational control was also discussed. Chairman Jung suggested, "We will have to retake wartime operational control someday, but now is the time for caution. By carefully managing North Korea's and the United States' attitudes, we should pursue a NATO-style nuclear sharing arrangement along with the transfer of wartime operational control." President Lee reportedly gave no specific response.

President Lee noted, "As we must negotiate even with adversaries, dialogue and communication are essential, and the experience and advice of political elders are desperately needed," expressing hope that the society's role will expand. Senior Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung conveyed these details in a written briefing.