Sung Ki-hong: "Constitutional Amendment for Second Term Impossible, Public Won't Accept It... Opportunity to Share President Lee's Tour Achievements Expected"

[Joo Young-jin's News Briefing]

When quoting this interview, please clearly state the program name "SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing>". Copyright belongs to SBS.

■ Broadcast: SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing> Mon~Fri (14:00~15:20)
■ Host: Anchor Joo Young-jin
■ Guest: Sung Ki-hong, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication
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● Interview with Sung Ki-hong, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication
"'San Francisco AI Declaration,' Historical Achievement... Wish Media Would Highlight It More"
"Now Is Era of AI Revolution... South Korea Has Become Country Leading AI Revolution"
"More Important Than Scale Is Nature of Investment Cooperation … 'AI Full Stack' Investment Cooperation"
"'Three Major Mega Projects' to Draw In U.S. Big Tech as Global Joint Project"
"Hope 'Second-Term Constitutional Amendment' Controversy Spreads No Further"
"'Second-Term Constitutional Amendment' Impossible Under Constitution and Unrealistic … Public Will Not Accept It"
"Cho Jeong-sik Made His Position Clear … 'Second-Term Constitutional Amendment' Not Subject for Discussion"
"Jeong Seong-ho Has Never Officially Tendered Resignation"
"Public Office Is Not Position You Can Leave Just Because You Want To"
"Abolition of Supplementary Investigation Power: If Party and National Assembly Enact Law Through Deliberation, It Must Be Respected"
"Real Estate Issue Is Complex Mix of Taxation, Finance, Supply ‥Economic Authorities to Announce Position Soon"
"Rhyu Si-min Controversy? No Plan to Respond or Comment One by One on Individual Criticism"
"Opportunity Expected for President to Share Overseas Tour Achievements"
"Presidential Office Environmental Maintenance Underway… Will Move into Official Residence Within This Year"
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▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : As you might have guessed, a welcome guest has joined us on Joo Young-jin's News Briefing. Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication Sung Ki-hong is here. Welcome. How long has it been since you became senior secretary?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : It's been a little over a month now.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : A little over a month? I heard today is a meaningful day for you personally—it's your birthday.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : How did you know?

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Happy birthday.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Thank you.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : You've been working as Senior Secretary for Public Communication for a little over a month. What kind of position is it, now that you've experienced it firsthand?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : As the Senior Secretary for Public Communication directly deals with the press and mediates direct communication with the public, I feel a heavy weight regarding this role. Especially since I used to cover Cheong Wa Dae myself—

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : You were a presidential correspondent.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : And a journalist. But things have changed a lot. Before, I was in the position of gathering news, but now I'm on the receiving end. Also, I used to ask questions, but now I answer them. However, I believe the essence is the same. Centered around the public interest, journalists ask public officials questions on behalf of the public about important matters of our community based on public interest, while the Senior Secretary for Public Communication is a role to answer them, so I think they share common ground.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Yes. Right now, the President is on a tour of South America, and as we saw in the video clip earlier, the two presidents who both started as young factory workers—President Lee Jae-myung and President Lula of Brazil—were making hand hearts side by side. It would be great if news like this were reported more. But even during this South American tour, rather than news about the President's tour, various statements on pending issues in political circles are becoming controversial, which the Presidential Office must find somewhat disappointing or unfortunate.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Yes, that's true. In fact, this South American tour, as well as various AI declarations made in San Francisco on the way to South America—

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : The AI Declaration.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : These parts are historically important and crucial in promoting South Korea's status in the stage of the AI revolution. I wish I had more opportunities to explain these to the public here, but I hope such achievements get highlighted more.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Since you are here, before moving to current issues, could you briefly explain what happened in San Francisco—such as the meeting and declaration with AI leaders including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang—as our viewers might not be familiar with the details?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Yes. Before discussing specific achievements of the tour, I would like to talk about the context of our era. What kind of era are we living in right now? I believe it is an era of revolution.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : An era of revolution.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Precisely, the era of the AI revolution. It is a period where our lives are rapidly transforming through AI. Recently, Nobel laureates said that the AI revolution unfolding now will impact our lives through more changes and faster changes than the Industrial Revolution. If so, during an era of revolution, what position we hold and what role we play determines the fate of a nation, a company, or an individual. Looking back at the 19th-century Industrial Revolution or the 20th-century oil-driven era, what was South Korea doing? Overall, we were a peripheral nation, a fast follower. But now, in the era of the AI revolution, CEOs of companies at the forefront leading the AI revolution sat together in San Francisco at the meeting hosted by our President. What does that symbolize? It signifies that South Korea has become an indispensable, irreplaceable entity in the group community leading the AI revolution today. In that sense, while South Korea was a follower and a peripheral nation during the Industrial Revolution, I want to emphasize that today's AI revolution era symbolizes and proves that we are indeed a leading nation.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : As you mentioned, it reminds me of learning about the Industrial Revolution in world history class. At that time, the Korean Peninsula was truly a pre-modern agricultural society. We had no interest and didn't even know such things were happening. The AI Declaration was briefed to the media as a large-scale cooperation plan reaching up to 1,400 trillion won. Could you briefly explain what specific details are included in it?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : That's right. Taking the San Francisco AI Summit as an opportunity, specifically in terms of amount, it is an investment cooperation between our companies and global Big Tech worth $950 billion, or 1,375 trillion won. Since the specifics of investment between individual companies have been reported extensively in the media, I won't repeat individual details here. However, I would like to highlight two aspects. While the scale itself is meaningful, what is more important is the nature of the investment cooperation. If you examine the terms closely, previously—as the anchor knows—cooperation was mainly limited to a single sector like ultra-high-speed memory chips represented by HBM, produced by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. But looking at the current agreement, it extends to AI research, infrastructure, models, and services, as well as Physical AI—what is called the AI full stack. It has expanded across the entire full stack. To put it simply, the AI full stack refers to all technologies and the entire foundational system required to build AI. In that regard, it is extremely meaningful. Second, last month, our government and businesses announced the Three Major Mega Projects, didn't they?

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Right.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : By drawing U.S. Big Tech companies into these Three Major Mega Projects, the AI investment setup—previously centered on domestic companies and the government—has materialized into a sort of global joint project. That is how we can view its significance. In that sense, regarding the Three Major Mega Projects announced last month, there were perceptions that the government was twisting companies' arms to invest, or that it was just a local, domestic project like the Honam semiconductor project—

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Criticism like that came from the opposition party.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Indeed. But looking at this global AI summit, it clearly shows that this is not a domestic local project, but a global project preemptively responding to the demands of the global AI revolution.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Understood. It's not just a matter for SK Hynix or Samsung Electronics, but global AI tech companies participating together in the Three Major Mega Projects. I hope tangible results can be shown to the public during President Lee Jae-myung's term. Secretary Sung, listening to your explanation just now, I truly feel the shift from being a fellow journalist I met in the field to becoming Senior Secretary for Public Communication. As Senior Secretary, you need to serve as a strong bridge between the Presidential Office and the public. Now, let me ask questions about current issues. You can probably answer this right away without preparation: Yesterday, National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik drew heavy criticism for saying, "A constitutional amendment allowing consecutive terms is a matter of the public's judgment and choice." Speaker Cho then clarified, "No, my intent was in a theoretical sense," and Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik clearly stated today that "Article 128, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution—which states that a constitutional amendment to extend a president's term shall not apply to the president in office at the time the amendment proposal was made—is an unshakeable historical consensus." Secretary Sung, can you also state that clearly to our viewers today?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Actually, I hope this controversy that started yesterday will not spread any further. First of all, a constitutional amendment to extend the term of an incumbent president is impossible under current constitutional provisions. It is also unrealistic. And would the public accept it? I don't think so. Our President already clearly addressed this when he was a presidential candidate. Looking specifically at his words, he made it clear that "under the current Constitution, if an amendment is made, the contents of the amendment do not apply to the president in office at the time the amendment was proposed." As you just mentioned, Article 128, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, which contains this provision, is a historical consensus that we must uphold. In that sense, people talk about the choice of the sovereign public and the will of the people, but I believe the will of the people is already embedded in that provision. That's why the National Assembly Speaker himself made his stance clear today—on Facebook, I believe—and explicitly stated that the incumbent president's name is not a subject for constitutional amendment discussion. So I hope this issue does not escalate into further unnecessary controversy.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Did you communicate with the Speaker's side as well?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : No. Regarding his statement, the Speaker's Senior Public Relations Officer spoke yesterday, and the Speaker himself clarified it directly today, so I understand there has been a responsible response as the head of the legislative branch.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Minister of Justice Jeong Seong-ho's resignation offer has been a major issue and topic in political circles for the past few days. Minister Jeong made remarks strongly suggesting he tendered his resignation repeatedly, saying, "New wine should be put into new wineskins." What is the official stance of the Presidential Office? Reports came out saying it wasn't true.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Let me use an analogy. In company life, there are times when you feel like quitting while working, right? You might express a desire to quit to your friends or colleagues, but whether the president of the company—the person with hiring authority—knows about it is a different matter. Indeed, I clearly heard that the Minister of Justice expressed such intentions through media interviews and remarks made at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee. I understand that Minister Jeong Seong-ho expressed such a position perhaps because about a year has passed, along with various thoughts on pending issues. However, such a position has never been officially delivered to the Presidential Office. Therefore, regarding your question about how the Presidential Office will handle the resignation offer, my answer is that because no official offer of resignation has been received, there is nothing to say about next steps based on that premise.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Nothing has been officially tendered or received by the Presidential Office, so there's nothing further to discuss.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Yes, that's correct.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Senior Secretary Hong Ihk-pyo said in a media interview today that Minister Jeong Seong-ho should at least finish matters through the launch of the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. Is that Senior Secretary Hong's personal opinion, or what is the stance?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : As Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, he handles relations with the National Assembly, and these are important laws. Even after they pass the Assembly, there is a lot of work to be done during the actual implementation phase. I understand his comment meant he hopes Minister Jeong Seong-ho would wrap up those issues. Honestly, having served as a senior presidential secretary for a little over a month now, I know some staff members who have been here for a year or so personally express a desire to quit soon, because the workload is so intense.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Because it's hard work, intense labor.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : I think that way too. A public office is not a position you can take just because you want to, nor is it a position you can leave just because you want to quit. Taking various factors into account, the Minister will also reflect on this, and I believe the situation will unfold accordingly.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : I'm curious how you will answer this: Reports about Minister Jeong Seong-ho's resignation suggested that the background was his opposition to the total abolition of supplementary investigative power. Minister Jeong held the conviction that retaining supplementary investigative power protects the public and benefits them. However, the Democratic Party adopted its total abolition as party policy. It passed the subcommittee yesterday, is set to pass the full Legislation and Judiciary Committee today, and schedule shows it going to the plenary session tomorrow. Regarding this, the Presidential Office's position has been that this is up to the legislature. Has there been no change in that stance at all?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : That is correct. As for why Minister Jeong expressed a desire to resign, I am not in a position to answer that; I think that question should be directed to Minister Jeong. However, the Criminal Procedure Act surrounding the issue of supplementary investigative power is a matter involving a major transformation of our criminal justice system. It is an important issue. Therefore, there are bound to be various opinions, and gathering consensus is certainly not easy. Thus, as the President previously stated and as the official position of the Presidential Office stands, if the party and the National Assembly enact a law through sufficient deliberation in the Assembly, we must respect that. So for now, as it is an important bill in the National Assembly, our position is that we hope it will be crafted into a desirable bill through deliberation in line with public expectations.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Media analysis articles suggest that once the Criminal Procedure Act amendment on total abolition of supplementary investigative power passes the National Assembly, it will be sent to the government. They analyze that the President will have three options—such as requesting further revisions or exercising veto power. What can you say about the thoughts of the Presidential Office or the President?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : It is completely understandable for the media to ask such questions, and if I were still in the media, I would ask the same. However, while the media can ask and predict, as Senior Secretary for Public Communication at this moment, my responsibility is to state facts rather than offer forecasts or predictions. Therefore, in the current process, I believe we should monitor the legislative process and passage of the bill in the National Assembly before reviewing and discussing subsequent steps.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Many citizens currently have immense interest in real estate policy. Not long ago, there was a public town hall meeting presided over directly by the President. After the President left for his overseas tour, another town hall meeting was held, chaired by Prime Minister Han Seong-sook. There is a prevailing expectation that tax reform—especially holding tax—will be strengthened. Can you tell us today when and with what content this tax reform plan will be announced?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : In fact, I believe many citizens are curious about the specific details. However, tax authorities and economic ministries will soon have an opportunity to set the direction and explain it to the public. What I can say is that the real estate issue itself is a complex combination of taxation, finance, and supply, and it is extremely difficult for any administration to cleanly solve real estate issues with a single policy. It is a complicated topic. What I would like to say here is that through various discussions held by the Financial Services Commission, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on tax, finance, and supply, followed by the public town hall directly chaired by the President, and then the town hall chaired by Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, various issues came to the surface. During those processes, many experts and citizens expressed their views, yielding diverse opinions on key issues. So I expect economic policy authorities are now meticulously and carefully coordinating these aspects, refining specific details regarding tax measures, and preparing to announce their position.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Don't political reporters ask about writer Rhyu Si-min's series of interviews? He made critical remarks about President Lee Jae-myung, saying "the line will not succeed," "reconstruction will fail," and using expressions like "rotten smell" and "fish market." You must have received many questions about how the Presidential Office or President Lee views these. How would you answer?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Well, in a way, criticisms by specific individuals are matters of freedom of commentary for an individual writer or critic. However, for the Presidential Office to reply or respond to each commentary or criticism is not desirable, and at present, we have no plans or position to respond or comment on them one by one.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : When he returns from this South American tour, will the President hold another press conference to explain the achievements of the trip? Is the Office of Senior Secretary for Public Communication preparing for it, or not?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Indeed, after returning from his European tour last time, he personally held a press conference to explain the outcomes of the European trip. Also, after visiting Mongolia and Türkiye, he visited reporters at the Chunchu-gwan press center for an informal meeting. When traveling abroad, the President realizes firsthand how high South Korea's national prestige and status have risen, and he has a strong desire to share that national growth and pride with the public. In that regard, I anticipate there will be an opportunity in some form for the President to share the achievements of the San Francisco AI Summit and the tour of three South American nations with the public.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : I see. I'm curious about this: Reports came out that the Ministry of National Defense moved back to its building, which was taken during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. While President Lee Jae-myung moved into Cheong Wa Dae right away, I understand he is still commuting from the Hannam-dong residence used during the Yoon administration. Cheong Wa Dae originally has an official residence as well, doesn't it?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : That is correct.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : When will they move into this official residence?

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : The presidential couple is planning to move into the official residence at Cheong Wa Dae. The exact timing has not yet been decided. However, as Cheong Wa Dae was opened to the public under the previous administration, parts of the residence suffered damage and equipment was broken, so repairs and maintenance are currently underway. As environmental maintenance progresses, once completed, I expect the presidential couple will move into and reside at the Cheong Wa Dae residence within this year. When that time comes, we will inform you.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor : Understood. Once again, happy birthday, and we ask that you faithfully serve as a bridge between the President, the Presidential Office, and the public. Thank you for speaking with us.

▶ Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication : Thank you.

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.