Na Kyung-won: "I Do Not Support the Opposition's Constitutional Amendment Discussion as a Cover for Impeachment"

Na Kyung-won, the elected member of the People Power Party for Dongjak-eul, Seoul, stated on the 30th, “I absolutely do not agree with the opposition party’s proposal to shorten the (president’s) term as part of constitutional amendment discussions aimed at packaging impeachment.”

Na Kyung-won, elected representative of the People Power Party for Dongjak-eul, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In an interview with CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ on the same day, Na said, “If the constitution is amended, the discussion about shortening the term cannot be applied to the current president. It will apply only to future presidents.”

He explained, “In South Korea, where the power structure is concentrated in a single president as it is now, political strife is constant. For the National Assembly to bring in the next administration, it believes it must constantly oppose the president, going beyond checks and balances to actually bring the president down, which makes the National Assembly unhealthy. That is why I have long argued that the power structure needs to be reformed.”

Earlier, on the 27th, at a forum hosted by the Korea Newspaper Editors Association held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, Na faced strong backlash from the ruling party leadership and others after he said in response to a question about constitutional amendments including shortening President Yoon’s term, “It is a matter that requires the president’s decision, so it is cautious, but everything should be open for discussion.”

Regarding this, Na clarified, “The issue of shortening the president’s term is actually difficult because the president was elected for five years, so the president cannot make such a decision lightly,” adding, “This general statement was misunderstood like this.”