[Edaily Reporter Kong Chi-Yu ] The Democratic Party of Korea plans to accelerate efforts toward constitutional reform, ranging from incorporating the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement into the preamble of the Constitution to restructuring the system of government. President Lee Jae-myung stated during a press conference on the 18th that he “has absolutely no intention of seeking re-election,” and called on the opposition party to cooperate, arguing that full-scale discussions on constitutional reform must now begin.

Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party, said at a press conference marking the launch of the Constitutional Amendment Promotion Task Force held at the National Assembly Main Building in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the 20th, “The President has repeatedly expressed his commitment to constitutional reform and has clearly addressed the obstacles (regarding re-election) raised by the opposition party.” He added, “Now, rather than nitpicking, let’s shift to serious discussions on constitutional reform.”

Until now, the People Power Party has demanded that President Lee clearly state his position that he will not pursue a constitutional amendment to allow for a second consecutive term or consecutive terms. Since President Lee stated at a press conference on the 18th that “my re-election through a constitutional amendment is constitutionally impossible,” indicating he has no intention of seeking a second term, the Democratic Party argues that the obstacles to pushing for constitutional reform—as claimed by the opposition—have been removed.

Regarding the direction of constitutional reform, the task force proposed: △ including events such as the May 18 Democratization Movement and the Busan-Masan Uprising in the preamble of the Constitution to reflect the history of democracy; △ explicitly stipulating citizens’ freedoms, rights, and dignity; △ strengthening the separation of powers; and △ reforming election and political party systems, as well as the composition and operation of the National Assembly. On the restructuring of the power structure, the task force maintains that constitutional amendments should be carried out within the scope of public consensus.

Kim Tae-nyeon, head of the Constitutional Amendment Task Force, said, “Since this is the first attempt at a constitutional amendment in 40 years, I believe it is appropriate for everyone to discuss the various issues that have been raised and incorporate them all into the amendment (rather than pursuing a one-point amendment),” while adding, “However, to ensure the amendment is successfully enacted, we must move forward with as much as we can agree upon.”

Kim noted, “When I engage in dialogue with People Power Party lawmakers during my legislative activities, without a single exception, they all say, ‘We must amend the Constitution.’” He continued, “Even the People Power Party leadership has said that once the issue of term limits is resolved, we should naturally discuss constitutional reform, though recently their tone has shifted slightly.” Kim emphasized, “I have faith that they will not say one thing and do another.”

The task force plans to draft an agreed-upon constitutional amendment proposal by the first half of next year—about a year before the 2028 general election—and put it to a national referendum. This decision is based on the assessment that pushing for a constitutional amendment as the general election approaches would make it difficult to succeed, as opinions would diverge depending on political interests and advantages. Jeong Tae-ho, the task force’s standing deputy director, said, “Within the task force, we will draft a Democratic Party proposal regarding the constitutional amendment discussion process, and we will proceed with consultations with political parties and civil society organizations on a two-track basis,” adding, “We plan to finalize a consensus proposal by March or April of next year.”