Lee Jae Myung Proposes Four-Year Consecutive Presidential Term Amendment... To Apply from the President After Next (Comprehensive 2)

"Strengthen Presidential Responsibility and Disperse Authority"
"Let’s Hold a National Referendum by 2028 at the Latest"
"National Referendum During Local or General Elections"
"Constitutional Amendment to Shorten Presidential Term Should Be Approached with Caution"

Lee Jae Myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on May 18 his proposal for constitutional amendment centered on introducing a four-year presidential term with the possibility of one consecutive re-election and implementing a runoff voting system. He also suggested that such an amendment could be put to a national referendum as early as the local elections next year or the general elections in 2028. However, regarding a constitutional amendment that would shorten the presidential term, he drew a clear line, stating that "it needs to be considered with caution."

Through a Facebook post on the same day, Lee stated, "If we introduce a four-year presidential term with the possibility of re-election, it would allow for a mid-term evaluation of the administration, thereby strengthening accountability," and added, "Let us strengthen presidential responsibility and disperse authority." He continued, "We tried to reach a consensus on major agendas such as the four-year re-election system and the responsible prime minister system, but were unable to do so. We also faced procedural limitations, such as the need to revise the National Referendum Act, which caused the constitutional amendment process to stall. Let us resume this halted progress."

Candidate Lee Jae Myung Responds to Questions Regarding His Position on Constitutional Amendment
(Gwangju=Yonhap News) Reporter Hwang Kwangmo = On the 18th, Lee Jae Myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the 45th anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Democratic Movement held at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City. After the event, he met with the press and answered questions about his position on the constitutional amendment announced that day. 2025.5.18 [Joint Coverage]
hkmpooh@yna.co.kr (End)
Photo by Hwang Kwangmo

Proposal for Four-Year Presidential Term with Re-election: "Let’s Hold a National Referendum by 2028 at the Latest"

He noted, "The current Constitution of Korea is a symbol of victory that our people won in 1987 by directly confronting the harsh military dictatorship," but added, "However, the recent 12·3 Martial Law Emergency thoroughly trampled on Korea’s constitutional order and democracy."

Lee stated, "Although the great people held arrogant rulers accountable, the vulnerabilities in our Constitution and democracy exposed during that process left us with even greater tasks." He explained, "Political parties, including the Democratic Party and the People Power Party, have agreed on some aspects of constitutional reform. There is social consensus on including the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement in the Constitution and on strengthening the requirements for martial law."

Regarding the appointment of the Prime Minister, he said, "Let us require the President to appoint the Prime Minister only upon recommendation by the National Assembly," and added, "The President should respect the authority of the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister should be able to perform their duties more robustly." He also argued, "When appointing heads of investigative agencies and independent organizations that require neutrality, such as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, the Prosecutors’ Office, the National Police Agency, the Korea Communications Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission, parliamentary approval must be mandatory. This is to prevent the President from privatizing power agencies."

He emphasized, "Now is the time to establish a new system and a denser constitutional safety net for democracy that fits the current era." He added, "If discussions progress quickly, we could ask the people’s opinion in the 2026 local elections, or at the latest, in the 2028 general elections." Lee said, "To achieve this, let us revise the National Referendum Act to lay the groundwork for constitutional amendment, establish a special committee on constitutional amendment in the National Assembly, and complete the amendment step by step through consensus."

Candidate Lee Jae Myung Responding to Questions Regarding His Position on Constitutional Amendment

(Gwangju=Yonhap News) Reporter Hwang Kwangmo = On May 18, Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung met with reporters after attending the 45th anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Democratic Movement held at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City. He answered questions about his announced position on the constitutional amendment on the same day. 2025.5.18 [Joint Coverage]

hkmpooh@yna.co.kr (End)

"Constitutional Amendment to Shorten Presidential Term Should Be Approached with Caution"

However, Lee clearly distanced himself from discussions on constitutional amendments that would shorten the presidential term. Speaking to reporters after attending the May 18 ceremony, Lee said, "The issue of the term of the nation’s ultimate leader needs to be considered with caution," and explained, "When I previously mentioned shortening the term by one year (in the last presidential election, etc.), it was unavoidable in order to align the cycle with the local elections."

He continued, "This time, the timing aligns exactly with the local elections, so insisting on bringing it forward even more is an idea held by those who view the presidency as a means of personal honor or private interest. If one considers it a matter of historical responsibility to the people, it would be difficult to speak so lightly about it."

Lee added, "It is most reasonable to align the cycles of local and central administrations and to conduct a mid-term evaluation through the general elections. The repeated talk about shortening the term to three years essentially means holding a presidential election just for the sake of constitutional amendment."

He further emphasized, "More important than constitutional amendment are national stability, restoring livelihoods, revitalizing the economy, ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula, and securing the safety of the social community. From a work-centered and people-centered perspective, it would be most reasonable to amend the Constitution in line with the next local elections, and ultimately, this should be left to the people’s judgment."

Yonhap News

Application of Four-Year Re-election Amendment Would Begin with the President After Next

Lee explained that, according to the Constitution, the amendment would apply starting from the president after the next one. Even if Lee were elected in the 21st presidential election, the amendment would apply from the 22nd president onward.

When asked whether the four-year re-election amendment would apply to the incumbent president, Lee replied, "According to our Constitution, amendments do not apply to the president in office at the time of the amendment. This is clearly stipulated in the current constitutional rules."

He stressed, "Now is not the time to debate the timing of application, but rather to establish a system of checks to prevent the president from abusing power, such as staging a praetorian military coup like the Yoon Suk Yeol administration or abusing state power agencies to trample on human rights."

He added, "Ultimately, it is up to the people to make a decision through in-depth discussion, and the National Assembly, as the representative body of the people, should take responsibility."

Lee stated, "Of course, more than 200 members of the National Assembly must agree to amend the Constitution, and cooperation from the former ruling party is also necessary. More broadly, national consensus is required. Rather than attempting a sweeping amendment and achieving nothing, my view is to start with what can be agreed upon."

Candidate Lee Jae Myung Appeals for Support at Gwangju Rally

(Gwangju=Yonhap News) Photo by Hwang Kwangmo = Lee Jae Myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, is giving a speech appealing for support at a focused rally held at the Kim Dae Jung Convention Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City on the 17th of May, 2025. [Joint Coverage] hkmpooh@yna.co.kr (End)

Including the Spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement in the Constitution

He also emphasized including the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement in the preamble of the Constitution. Lee said, "As already agreed, let us include the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement in the preamble of the Constitution," and added, "Let us also begin social discussions so that the history of the people’s victory, which continued through the Busan-Masan Uprising, the June 10 Uprising, the Candlelight Revolution, and the Revolution of Light, can be included in the Constitution."

Additionally, he proposed that discussions to strengthen fundamental rights, such as the right to safety, the right to life, and the right to information, should proceed in parallel, stating, "Fair standards must be applied without exception from the stage of warrant request."