Emphasizes the Need to Shift to a Four-Year, Two-Term Presidency
Slip of the Tongue During Campaign: "Please Vote for Number 2, Lee Jaemyung"
Ahn Cheolsoo, a member of the People Power Party, pressured Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, to "promise to shorten the presidential term by three years." On May 30, Ahn stated on social media (SNS), "In this presidential election, only candidate Kim Moonsoo has made this promise, while candidate Lee Jaemyung has ultimately ignored this important issue." He added, "Constitutional amendment is the starting point for ending the imperial presidency and ushering in an era of strengthened popular sovereignty. To achieve this, it is absolutely necessary to adjust the presidential term to three years to coincide with the next general election, and then, from that point onward, to introduce a four-year, two-term system. Only then can general elections always be held together with the presidential election, and local elections serve as a midterm evaluation of the president, resulting in a normal electoral system."
Ahn Cheolsoo, a member of the People Power Party, pressured Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, to "promise to shorten the term by three years." On the 30th, Ahn stated on social media (SNS), "In this presidential election, only candidate Kim Moonsoo has made the promise, while candidate Lee Jaemyung has ultimately ignored this important issue." Photo by Kim Hyunmin
He continued, "Candidate Kim Moonsoo has already made this promise to the public. That is why I have proposed to both candidates that they jointly promise, during the televised debate, to shorten the term to three years and to pursue a constitutional amendment for a decentralized presidential system." He went on to say, "In particular, constitutional amendment under the next administration is an absolute task for the future of the nation. This presidential election is not simply about electing a president. Through constitutional amendment, it is also an election to choose what kind of power structure will govern the country going forward."
Ahn stated, "In other words, the core issue of this presidential election is whether to choose the four-year, two-term system advocated by candidate Lee Jaemyung or the three-year term reduction followed by a four-year, two-term system proposed by candidate Kim Moonsoo. Regardless of whether it is a two-term system or a consecutive term system, shortening the term to three years is essential before any institutional discussion." He urged, "I call on candidate Lee Jaemyung to make a decision even now. It is time to show action, not just words. A political decision to shorten the presidential term is the true way to prove sincerity to the people."
Earlier, on May 29, Ahn Cheolsoo made a slip of the tongue while campaigning in support of Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party candidate, mistakenly saying, "Please vote for candidate number 2, Lee Jaemyung." While campaigning for Kim Moonsoo in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, he said, "My constituency is Daechang-dong in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, and I live in Baekhyeon-dong. Every day, I am constantly criticized by residents," and added, "To stop being criticized, please vote for candidate number 2, Lee Jaemyung," mistakenly mentioning the wrong candidate's name. In response, the campaign host immediately corrected him by saying "candidate Kim Moonsoo." Ahn also realized his mistake when the audience reacted with confusion, apologized, and corrected himself by saying, "I'm sorry. Please vote for candidate number 2, Kim Moonsoo."
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