Speaker Jo Jung-sik: "Time to Pursue the 10th Constitutional Amendment... Full-Fledged Discussions Next Year"

First Press Conference After Taking Office Held at Sarangjae in the National Assembly

"December 3 to Be Designated as 'Day of National Sovereignty'"

"Discussion on Presidential Re-election Is 'Premature'"

On the 28th, Speaker of the National Assembly Jo Jung-sik stated regarding the push for constitutional amendment, "Through agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, we will establish a special committee on constitutional amendment and place the discussions on constitutional revision on the right track next year." Regarding discussions on restructuring the power system, such as introducing consecutive presidential terms for incumbents, he took a cautious stance, saying, "In the end, it is a matter of public opinion and the people's choice."

Speaker of the National Assembly Jo Jung-sik delivers a greeting during his first press briefing held at Sarangjae, the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 28th. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group, Yonhap News Agency

At his first press briefing after taking office, held at Sarangjae in the National Assembly on the same day, Speaker Jo remarked, "As next year will mark 40 years since the Constitution was last amended in 1987, it is now time to pursue the 10th constitutional amendment."

He said, "Next year (2027) is a year without any elections," adding, "During that period, we should build consensus between the ruling and opposition parties. We must not rush, but also not hesitate, and must boldly see the amendment through." He further emphasized, "I will personally work over the next year and a half to persuade and forge agreements between the parties."

Speaker Jo had previously, in his Liberation Day address on the 17th, proposed, "Let us prepare a constitutional amendment that embodies popular sovereignty in 2027 and complete the process within the term of the 22nd National Assembly."

Regarding the procedure for pushing forward the amendment, Speaker Jo announced that he would soon launch the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Constitutional Amendment to organize existing discussions and establish a roadmap. He also unveiled a plan to build a digital platform where the public can directly propose and debate constitutional amendment topics, to be reflected in the discussions.

Referring to the failure of the single-item constitutional amendment pursued by former Speaker Woo Won-shik during the first half of the 22nd National Assembly, Jo stated, "If it was not possible to achieve everything at once, we should have realized the parts we could agree on first." He added, "It was unfortunate that no agreement was reached amid the political schedule ahead of the local elections."

However, on the issue of allowing consecutive presidential terms for incumbents, which has surfaced as a point of contention in the process of power structure reform, he said, "It is premature to make any definitive statements at this stage," and "This is an issue that must be thoroughly discussed within the constitutional amendment advisory committee and the special committee." He continued, "I believe both the ruling and opposition parties recognize the necessity of constitutional revision for our era," and stressed, "I will do my best to persuade and forge consensus during the period without elections."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.