[Polpol News] Changing Conservative Attitudes on Constitutional Amendment: "Necessary" Drops from 53% to 36%

Gallup Poll
Support for Constitutional Amendment Drops from 54% in March 2025 to 49% in January 2026
Sharp Decline in Conservative Support for Amendment

Half of the public responded that constitutional amendment is necessary. While there was a broad consensus on the need for constitutional amendment regardless of political orientation last year, this latest survey shows that opposition among conservatives has grown.

According to a public opinion poll released by Gallup on January 9 (conducted from January 6 to 8 through wireless telephone interviews with 1,000 men and women aged 18 and over nationwide, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 11.6%), 49% of respondents said that constitutional amendment is necessary. Meanwhile, 37% answered that it is not necessary, and 15% withheld their opinion.

Compared to the March 2025 survey (conducted from March 4 to 6), in which 54% said constitutional amendment was necessary and 30% said it was not, support for constitutional amendment has slightly declined. Gallup explained, "In the previous survey, there was no significant difference in opinion on constitutional amendment by political orientation, but now, mainstream conservative opinion has shifted toward viewing it as unnecessary." In this survey, 63% of progressives and 53% of moderates said constitutional amendment is necessary, but only 36% of conservatives agreed, while 53% of conservatives opposed it. In the March 2025 survey, 56% of progressives, 59% of moderates, and 53% of conservatives said constitutional amendment was necessary.

Separately from the constitutional amendment issue, regarding the presidential term, 53% of respondents preferred a "four-year, two-term system," while 42% favored the current "single five-year term." In the March survey, the four-year, two-term system was preferred regardless of political orientation, but in this latest survey, 58% of conservatives said they prefer the single five-year term.

Regarding presidential powers, 51% of respondents said the current level should be maintained, 27% said it should be reduced, and 13% said it should be expanded.

Meanwhile, an "in-depth interview survey (IDI) with experts on constitutional amendment" conducted by the National Assembly showed that constitutional amendment is urgent. According to a report released by the National Assembly, "Experts assessed that while the current constitution has supported Korea's democratization for 38 years, it has revealed structural limitations amid recent political upheavals and complex crises." The report also stated, "In terms of timing, holding the 2026 local elections and a constitutional amendment referendum simultaneously could be considered in terms of urgency and cost savings, and there is a high preference for a step-by-step amendment process, starting with issues on which consensus can be reached."