Park Byeong-seok, Speaker of the National Assembly: "Constitutional Amendment, the Right Time is by Next Year... Let's Start the Discussion"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] On the 17th, Park Byeong-seok, Speaker of the National Assembly, proposed starting discussions on constitutional amendment with the goal of processing it next year, marking the 72nd Constitution Day.

In his congratulatory speech at the Constitution Day commemorative ceremony held at the National Assembly that morning, Speaker Park said, "In the face of a wave of great transformation, it is inevitable to amend the constitution to protect the people and open the future." He added, "Considering the upcoming political schedule, next year is the right time for constitutional amendment," and requested, "Let's fully launch the constitutional amendment discussions once we overcome the COVID-19 crisis."

Speaker Park stated, "The current constitution, amended in 1987, embraces democratization as the spirit of the era, focusing on the direct election of the president with a single five-year term and expanding civil liberties to eliminate authoritarianism," and added, "There is a consensus that it is difficult for the current constitution, which has lasted a generation, to fully reflect today's spirit of the times."

He further emphasized the necessity of constitutional amendment by saying, "Through the experience of COVID-19, the perception of the state's existence has fundamentally changed," and "Our economic scale has grown more than tenfold compared to 1987, and the era's environment and the people's demands have greatly changed."

In particular, Speaker Park addressed both ruling and opposition parties, saying, "Our society has long felt the need for constitutional amendment, but ultimately failed to overcome the last hurdle of party interests such as power structure issues," and stressed, "We must create a new national norm that reflects the spirit of the times by solely heeding the will of the people, not the interests of the political circles."

He also said, "The protagonists of the Korean Peninsula's destiny are the South and the North," and "As the first step for this, as Speaker of the National Assembly, I officially propose to the Supreme People's Assembly representative of the North to hold inter-Korean parliamentary talks."

Speaker Park proposed, "I am ready to meet anytime and anywhere to open our hearts and sincerely discuss inter-Korean relations and national issues," and suggested, "Let's declare our will for peace and joint prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and find ways to legally and institutionally support inter-Korean relations." He added, "We can also discuss institutional measures in areas such as quarantine, health, medical care, agriculture, forestry, and inter-Korean railway and road cooperation."

Regarding the direction of the 21st National Assembly's operation, Speaker Park said, "We will create a National Assembly that blooms parliamentary democracy, is trusted by the people, acts as a melting pot leading the people to unity, prepares the nation's future, opens the people's tomorrow, and institutionally supports the Fourth Industrial Revolution." He continued, "The government with a five-year term will also present a vision for national tasks that are difficult to achieve, such as resolving polarization, addressing low birth rates and aging, and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula."