National Assembly Speaker Cho Jungsik: "Incumbent President Cannot Serve Consecutive Terms; Must Not Become a Political Issue... Next Year Is the Right Time to Pursue Constitutional Amendment"

Outlines constitutional amendment plans at Kwanhun Club forum
Constitutional Amendment Advisory Committee under speaker to launch soon
Proposes forming Special Committee on Political Reform after regular session of National Assembly

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jungsik reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing a constitutional amendment on Nov. 11, saying, "An incumbent president cannot serve consecutive terms."

At a Kwanhun Club forum held that day at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Cho said, "The 22nd National Assembly will pursue a constitutional amendment centered on popular sovereignty to fulfill its duty," adding, "We will open a new page for the Republic of Korea with the trust of the people." He said, "Next year, 2027, will be a year without nationwide elections," and added, "It is the right time to discuss a constitutional amendment calmly."

Outlining the principles for constitutional reform, Cho said, "The National Assembly should take the lead in pursuing a constitutional amendment." He added, "I will soon launch a Constitutional Amendment Advisory Committee under my direct supervision to set out the direction and agenda for reform." He also said, "We will gather public opinion through the public participation platform, 'Everyone's Constitution.'"

He also said, "As stipulated in Article 128, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, the incumbent president's serving consecutive terms is not a subject for discussion in a constitutional amendment," adding, "We should no longer make this an object of political strife." During a question-and-answer session, Cho also said, "At my press conference last time, I did not actually mean to leave the possibility open." He added, "As a politician, I am sorry to the public for causing such misunderstanding and controversy, albeit unintentionally."

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jungsik speaks at the Kwanhun Forum held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 11th. Yonhap News

In July, Cho drew controversy when he said at a press conference that "the issue of amending the Constitution to allow an incumbent president to serve consecutive terms ultimately depends on public opinion and the choice of the people, who are sovereign."

Cho also said he would pursue constitutional reform on the basis of consent from both the political community and the public. "A constitutional amendment requires agreement between the ruling and opposition parties and broad public support," he said. "We will proceed step by step, starting with issues that have a high level of bipartisan agreement and broad public support, such as including the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in the Constitution's preamble and strengthening the National Assembly's oversight of the president's declaration of martial law." He also outlined his approach: "We will first reach agreement on the preamble and the protection of fundamental rights, and continue discussions on restructuring the political system within the scope agreed upon by the ruling and opposition parties." On the political system, he also expressed a preference for a four-year presidential term with the option of serving a second consecutive term.

On political reform, Cho noted the need to improve the semi-linked proportional representation system. "It is clear that many people are highly critical of the system," he said, adding, "We need to take a broader look at the electoral system as a whole."

Responding to criticism that electoral district boundaries for National Assembly elections and other matters had not been settled by the statutory deadline, Cho said that after the current regular session of the National Assembly ends, he would propose moving quickly to form the Special Committee on Political Reform. On relaxing the requirements for forming a negotiating group as part of political reform, he said, "We need to leave the matter open for discussion," and urged the ruling and opposition parties to discuss it and narrow their differences.

Asked whether he was in communication with President Lee Jae-myung, given their close relationship in the past, Cho said, "As speaker, I must remain neutral and focus on the operation of the National Assembly. I only occasionally see him at national commemorations or events. Most direct communication is handled through the floor leadership of the ruling and opposition parties or the presidential office's senior secretary for political affairs, via channels in the speaker's office."

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