Six political parties—excluding the People Power Party (PPP)—and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik formally announced on the 31st their plan to propose a constitutional amendment to be put to a national referendum alongside the June 3 local elections.
Speaker Woo, along with floor leaders Han Byung-do (Democratic Party), Seo Wang-jin (Rebuilding Korea Party), Yoon Jong-oh (Progressive Party), Chun Ha-ram (Reform Party), and Han Chang-min (Social Democratic Party), issued a joint declaration on constitutional revision at the Speaker’s reception room in the National Assembly.
Speaker Woo stated, “The current situation—where a considerable level of public consensus has been formed across the National Assembly, the government, and civil society—represents a significant historic opportunity,” adding, “If we fail to keep this momentum alive now, we may not see such an opportunity again.”
The proposed amendment includes:
• Writing the Constitution’s title in Korean (Hangul),
• Expanding the preamble—which currently only includes the spirit of the April 19 Revolution—to also incorporate the spirit of the Bu-Ma Democratic Protests and the Gwangju Uprising,
• Introducing a requirement for the National Assembly’s approval of martial law,
• Strengthening the Assembly’s authority from requesting the lifting of martial law to having the power to lift it directly,
• Explicitly stating the state’s obligation to reduce regional disparities and promote balanced development.
Whether the amendment proceeds to a national referendum depends on the PPP. While proposing a constitutional amendment requires a majority of all sitting lawmakers, passage in the plenary session requires the approval of two-thirds (197 out of 295 members). Lawmakers from the six supporting parties number 187, meaning at least 10 PPP lawmakers must support the bill.
Earlier that day, Speaker Woo met with PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk, but failed to narrow differences. Jang stated, “Is it appropriate to push this through like a military operation ahead of local elections?” He added suspicion that “rushing a one-point constitutional amendment may be a preliminary step toward revising supplementary provisions later to allow President Lee Jae-myung to seek re-election under a future governance-structure amendment.”
Under the National Referendum Act, the amendment must pass the plenary session by May 10 to be put to a vote alongside the June 3 local elections.
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