Woo Wonsik: "Constitutional Amendment Needed to Fill Gaps in Democracy... Carefully Considering Timing of Proposal"

"There Are Gaps in the Constitution Allowing a President to Use Physical Force"
Need to Reflect 40 Years of Dramatic Change in the Constitution
Prosecution Reform Also Emphasized as "Already the Dominant Trend"

On July 15, National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonsik stated, "There is broad agreement on the need for constitutional amendment," adding, "We must carefully judge the situation and timing, go through discussions between the ruling and opposition parties, and communicate with the presidential office to determine the right time to make a proposal." This is interpreted as an expression of his intention to take a flexible approach regarding the timing of constitutional amendment.

Speaker Woo appeared on CBS Radio that day and shared his views on constitutional amendment and related issues. He said, "With our Constitution, we were able to prevent the past state of emergency, and the content and values of the Constitution, as well as its democratic values, are excellent." However, he also stated, "When the president is democratic, there is no problem at all, but when the president is authoritarian or tries to use physical force, we have witnessed how gaps in the Constitution have allowed democracy to be undermined." He emphasized that constitutional amendment is necessary to fill these gaps in order to control an authoritarian president and, in other words, to protect democracy.

Woo Wonsik, Speaker of the National Assembly, is speaking at a press conference held last month at Sarangjae in the National Assembly, Yeouido, Seoul, marking his first anniversary in office. 2025.6.11 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

He also said, "We are the only country that has become an advanced nation after experiencing colonization, but the Constitution does not reflect the tremendous changes of the past 40 years, which were the most turbulent period on our path to becoming an advanced nation." He added, "A constitutional amendment is needed for the development of our society and to chart the path toward our future."

While he highlighted the need for constitutional amendment, he remained cautious about the timing. Speaker Woo, who had proposed constitutional amendment immediately after the impeachment of former President Yoon Sukyeol but stepped back in the face of the argument that 'ending the rebellion comes first,' said, "President Lee Jaemyung has a very strong will for constitutional amendment," and added, "When he was a presidential candidate, he made a constitutional amendment pledge with sincerity and strong determination." However, regarding the timing, he said, "There are issues of situation and timing," and added, "I am thinking more deeply about when to make the proposal."

Meanwhile, regarding prosecution reform, he said, "Over the past three years during the Yoon Sukyeol administration, the public has seen the true face of prosecution investigations," and added, "Prosecution reform is already the dominant trend." He continued, "There will be discussions between the ruling and opposition parties, and I believe it would be best if an agreement can be reached," adding, "As Speaker of the National Assembly, I will continue to assess the situation and make judgments on how the National Assembly can best reach a consensus."