Statement by Kim Jaeseop and 4 Others Proposing Term Reduction Constitutional Amendment
Ruling Party Leadership Fails to Offer Solutions Beyond Demanding Yoon's Resignation
Possibility of Defections if No Early Resolution Plan Emerges
Five moderate members of the People Power Party (PPP) pressured President Yoon Suk-yeol to step down early by proposing a constitutional amendment to shorten the presidential term, centered on a four-year single re-election system, on the 5th.
While the pro-Yoon and pro-Han factions set the party stance against the impeachment motion for President Yoon, they failed to quickly present any resolution other than demands for resignation, prompting these members to take action. If the party leadership fails to devise an early resolution plan following this proposal, it is expected that internal divisions within the party will deepen.
The five moderate PPP lawmakers?Kim Jae-seop, Kim Sang-wook, Kim So-hee, Kim Ye-ji, and Woo Jae-joon?held a press conference at the Communication Office in the afternoon and issued a statement proposing a constitutional amendment to shorten the presidential term to a four-year single re-election system.
In their statement, they said, "The president has inflicted irreparable wounds on our people who have endured a history of democracy suppression and trauma from human rights violations," and criticized, "No matter what justification the president and the ruling party present, they cannot rationalize this emergency martial law."
After the statement, when Kim Jae-seop was asked by reporters whether he would comply if the PPP demanded non-attendance at the National Assembly plenary session voting on the impeachment motion against President Yoon, he replied, "We are individual constitutional institutions and must consider the party stance, but I cannot answer hypothetically," leaving room for interpretation.
On the afternoon of the 5th, the junior members of the People Power Party held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office proposing constitutional amendments including shortening the presidential term. Photo by Yonhap News.
When asked about calls for the resignation of the party floor leadership, Kim Sang-wook said, "I think it is necessary to consider it." Kim is known for expressing strong dissatisfaction with Floor Leader Choo Kyung-ho after attending the National Assembly plenary session vote following the declaration of emergency martial law.
While they added a caveat that confusion caused by impeachment should be minimized, their proposal is interpreted as ultimately suggesting a plan for President Yoon Suk-yeol’s early departure. Party leader Han Dong-hoon and floor leader Choo Kyung-ho opposed impeachment to prevent the Democratic Party and leader Lee Jae-myung from coming to power, but signs of cracks have emerged centered on the party’s moderate lawmakers.
As criticism of President Yoon and the party leadership over the emergency martial law intensifies, concerns within the ruling party about defections are expected to grow. The Democratic Party is pushing to hold a National Assembly plenary session at 7 p.m. on the 7th to vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon. For the impeachment motion to pass, 200 out of 300 total members must vote in favor. If only eight members of the PPP defect, the impeachment motion against President Yoon will be approved.
With the Democratic Party deciding to simultaneously push for a vote on the impeachment motion and a re-vote on the special investigation law for First Lady Kim Geon-hee at the plenary session, it has become difficult for the ruling party to decide on collective non-attendance. Ahn Cheol-soo, who advocates for the president’s resignation, expressed doubts about the party stance opposing impeachment on YTN radio, saying, "Many people are currently in a somewhat agitated state, so I wonder if that stance will really hold."
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