Choi Jae-hyung "We Must Restore the Spirit of the Constitution... The President Is Also Under the Constitution"

Former Auditor General Choi Jae-hyung is seen saluting at the gravesite of the 46 Cheonan War heroes at the National Daejeon National Cemetery in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on the morning of the 12th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Choi Jae-hyung, former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection and opposition presidential candidate, raised his voice a day before Constitution Day, saying that "the spirit of the Constitution must be restored."

On the 16th, Choi said, "The president is also under the Constitution," and added, "We must restore the spirit of the Constitution. The rule of law must be properly established."

Choi, a former judge, said, "This Constitution Day feels very special to me," explaining, "It is the moment when I, who have lived with the constitutional provisions for nearly 40 years, am entering the unfamiliar path of politics."

He continued, "The current Constitution was agreed upon by the political parties of both the ruling and opposition parties in 1987 amid national consensus," but honestly expressed, "Looking back over the years, I have many doubts about whether the politics of this country have truly practiced the spirit of the Constitution."

Choi emphasized, "People often say that the endless conflicts, repetition, and extreme struggles in our politics are due to the imperial presidency," but he said, "I find it difficult to agree. It is not because our Constitution establishes an imperial presidency, but because the presidential system defined by the Constitution has been operated imperially."

He added, "The Constitution clearly specifies the powers and responsibilities of the president and constitutional institutions," but pointed out, "Many governance acts have been exercised beyond the powers defined by the Constitution and laws. The right of recommendation stipulated in the Constitution was not properly exercised, lawful procedures were not followed in the policymaking and execution processes depending on the ruler's intentions, and there were many personnel interventions beyond the powers set by the Constitution and laws. As a result, it was common for public officials to be more concerned about the administration than the people."

Choi stated, "I think it is inappropriate to discuss changes in the power structure through constitutional amendment without even having operated the state affairs according to the current Constitution," and said, "I will do my best to uphold the spirit of the Constitution, establish the rule of law, and build the Republic of Korea based on liberal democracy. Only then can the people be safe and unite their strength to create a better Korea."

Finally, he referred to Article 7, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution, which states that "public officials are servants of the entire people and are responsible to the people."