President Lee Jaemyung: "My Term Is Clearly Limited by the Constitution"

President Lee Jaemyung stated, "In any case, the duration of my term is clearly limited by the Constitution." While the remark underscored the importance of diplomacy during the early stages of his presidency, analysts believe it is also closely related to rising calls for President Lee to clarify his stance regarding the heated debate over constitutional amendments for presidential re-election.

On September 9 (local time) in Paris, France, President Lee made these remarks during a meeting with Korean expatriates, saying, "I have scheduled many overseas visits at the start of my term." He further explained, "Meetings between heads of state present great opportunities for Korea, known as an open trading nation, in terms of trade, investment, and security. No matter how strong relations may become later in the term, the potential benefits will inevitably be limited by that point."

Yonhap News Agency

Observers suggest that President Lee’s comments regarding ‘term limits’ reflect his awareness of the opposition party’s pressure to push for a constitutional amendment allowing presidential re-election. Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, asserted on Facebook the same day that President Lee raised the issue of constitutional change in an interview with French media, claiming, "There is only one reason the President is so invested in this: re-election through constitutional amendment." Jeong Jeomsik, floor leader of the People Power Party, also criticized President Lee the previous day, stating, "President Lee steadfastly refuses to say that he will not seek re-election," and insisted, "There will be no constitutional change during this administration."

Meanwhile, the presidential office maintains that amending the Constitution to permit re-election is not an option. Hong Ikpyo, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, emphasized the previous day, "Despite having made our stance clear, the controversy continues to get bigger, which is rather regrettable." He added, "When President Lee met with Leader Jang, he said, 'If I have no intention of doing this at all, what meaning is there in repeatedly asking me not to do something I have no desire to pursue?'"

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