Cheong Wa Dae: "Re-election Amendment Controversy Regrettable, President Lee to Clarify Position Further"

Hong Ikpyo Appears on YouTube Broadcast on September 8
Deliberating President Lee's Message of Party Unity

Hong Ikpyo, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs to the President, stated on the 8th that President Lee Jaemyung is considering directly clarifying his position on constitutional amendment for re-election and issuing a message of unity in order to halt the decline in his approval ratings.

On the YouTube program "Kim Eo-jun's Humility Is Hard News Factory" that day, Senior Secretary Hong addressed the controversy over President Lee’s possible pursuit of constitutional reform for re-election, saying, "The President will clarify his position more directly in a setting where he can speak for himself." He went on, "It is regrettable that the controversy continues to grow despite his clear statements. When President Lee met with Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, he said, 'If I have no intention of doing this, what sense is there in repeatedly being told not to do something that I already have no intention of doing?'"

Hong Ikpyo, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs to the President, attended the full meeting of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts held at the National Assembly on the 24th and responded to questions from independent lawmaker Han Donghoon. 2026.8.24 Yonhap News Agency

When asked about the reasons for the President’s falling approval ratings, Hong replied, "I thought that once the party convention ended, internal strife would ease, but things have not completely returned to their previous state." He analyzed that the conflicts which erupted between the President’s supporters during the party leadership race are still having a negative impact on President Lee’s standing. In addition, he cited the real estate tax reform bill and the leveraged single-stock Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) as further causes for the decline in support.

When Kim Eo-jun asked, "Isn’t the fundamental issue the division within your base?" Hong responded, "We are considering proactive efforts to heal wounded supporters and for the President to express his thoughts and intentions for party unity in a more direct way." He added, "The party must also make efforts; as the President said, the period of competition is over, and now it is time to move forward together. Efforts to resolve the discord stemming from the party convention must be led successfully by Chairman Kim Minseok."

Senior Secretary Hong also commented, "If in the past divisions were amplified mainly among politicians, this time the conflict has intensified within the YouTube community." He added, "I hope that YouTubers supporting our side will also seriously reflect on unity." In response, Kim suggested, "Maybe you should bring that message to those who created 'Munjo Teol Lae YU'." To which Hong explained, "I’m not singling out any group; I hope everyone can take part."

Meanwhile, when asked whether the President’s office is seeking to withdraw the prosecution’s indictment against President Lee, Hong replied, "If it is clearly revealed that the charges are fabricated, that will naturally become an issue for consideration." He stated, "It is wrong to keep the prosecution ongoing when the indictment itself is flawed, but to talk about withdrawing the charges preemptively would fall into a narrative set by some People Power Party members or conservative media."

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