Speaker Park Byeong-seok: "Don't Delay Constitutional Amendment, We Must Tie It Up... A 34-Year-Old Worn-Out Garment"

Speaker of the National Assembly Park Byeong-seok is attending the New Year's online press conference held at the National Assembly on the 6th, delivering a greeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Park Byeong-seok, Speaker of the National Assembly, emphasized that the constitutional amendment should not be postponed any longer and must be concluded now.

On the 9th, in a commemorative speech for the '102nd Anniversary of the Provisional Assembly Opening,' Speaker Park said, "The constitution is the vessel that unites the hearts of the people. In 1919, the Provisional Assembly faithfully fulfilled its role by enacting the Provisional Charter of the Republic of Korea," adding, "It sincerely embodied the unified spirit of the nation expressed through the March 1st Independence Movement in the Provisional Charter. In 2021, this is something the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea should take as a model."

He continued, "The institutional completion of national integration ultimately lies in constitutional amendment," and said, "Although the vast majority of the people agree on the necessity of constitutional amendment, the issue keeps going around in circles endlessly. We must no longer delay and now bring it to a close." He also stated, "It is time to change out of the old clothes that are 34 years old."

Speaker Park said, "Many citizens have suffered for over a year due to the COVID-19 crisis. The intense factional conflicts and the increasingly serious widening of gaps are also concerning," adding, "We must create a 'country for all citizens.' Just as the March 1st Movement was gathered into the Provisional Assembly, the Provisional Charter, and the Provisional Government, another transformation is needed to unite the hearts of the people once again." He proposed constitutional amendment as the means to achieve this.