Kim Minseok: "President Lee Has Removed Obstacles... Time to Shift to Serious Constitutional Amendment Discussions"

Kim Minseok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 20th, "The President has repeatedly expressed his intention to revise the Constitution, and the obstacles raised by the opposition parties have now been clearly addressed. It is now time to transition from nitpicking over words to a truly serious constitutional amendment discussion."

Yonhap News Agency

At a press conference marking the launch of the party's constitutional amendment task force at the National Assembly on the morning of the same day, Kim further stated, "The People Power Party keeps asking for a declaration to forgo a second term, even though there is no intention to seek re-election. Their demand felt strange—as if they were implying there were ulterior motives. That is not the case," he said.

Previously, President Lee Jaemyung stated at a national press conference on the 18th, "It is constitutionally impossible for me to serve a second consecutive term through constitutional amendment. I have absolutely no intention of seeking re-election." This was interpreted as a response to the opposition's continued calls for him to declare that there will be no constitutional amendment for the sake of re-election or extending presidential terms.

Regarding constitutional amendment, Kim further stated, "We must clearly enshrine the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and the Busan-Masan Uprising in the preamble to the Constitution. Why would the People Power Party, which claims succession from President Kim Youngsam—who made May 18 part of the civilian government’s identity—oppose such a move? The party should accept May 18 and break away from any anti-May 18 stance."

Kim also emphasized, "The very essence of constitutional amendment must be focused on improving peoples' livelihoods and promoting national unity. We must reform the power structure and political system in a way agreed upon by the public," he said, adding, "We need to reflect a society of dignity that guarantees all citizens a life of dignity, in other words basic social values and social rights."

.

Kim stated, "We should inherit the achievements of Kim Daejung, who succeeded in ensuring continuity in national administration, and reflect on the legacy of Roh Moo-hyun, who was sacrificed by political prosecutors while attempting national unity. Now is the time for the country, the people, the democratic forces, and the party—all to unite more firmly around President Lee."

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