Lee Seok-yeon Calls for Public-Participatory Constitutional Reform Body, Proposes 2028 Referendum

Lee Seok-yeon, Chairman of the National Unity Committee, proposed the establishment of a public-participatory special body for constitutional reform starting early next year. He argued that the President and the National Assembly should jointly propose a constitutional amendment, with the goal of holding a national referendum concurrently with the 2028 general elections.
During his keynote speech at the National Unity Consensus Dialogue 2026, hosted by the presidential National Unity Committee at the National Assembly Members' Office Building today (July 1), Chairman Lee stated, "The current constitution is insufficient to fulfill the demands of the times."
He added, "It is now time to change the framework of national governance through constitutional reform."
Noting that the 1987 system, which has been in place for nearly 40 years, is showing limitations in various areas, Lee suggested that full-scale public discourse on constitutional reform should begin next year—the third year of the Lee Jae-myung administration—to reach a conclusion by the general elections two years later.
Chairman Lee asserted, "Constitutional reform must be citizen-centered, aimed at enhancing liberal democracy and human rights, reaffirming the identity of the Republic of Korea, and fostering national unity by considering the socially vulnerable. It should be a festival for the people, where all citizens can share hope and joy for a better Republic of Korea."
He further emphasized that the reform process must proceed with public consensus, be driven by bipartisan agreement, and focus on a comprehensive revision of the national framework rather than a single-point amendment.
In particular, he remarked, "While systems such as a four-year renewable presidential term or a parliamentary cabinet system are being discussed as alternatives to the current five-year single-term imperial presidency, there is no single 'best' power structure. Since this choice is a matter for the people to decide, a broad and systematic process of collecting public opinion must precede any decision."
Chairman Lee identified several key issues that should be addressed during the constitutional reform process: <reorganization of the power structure>, <the establishment of clauses regarding the national flag, national anthem, and national language>, <the conflict between Article 3 (territory) and Article 4 (peaceful unification) of the Constitution>, <the constitutional implications of the 'two-state theory' on the Korean Peninsula>, <the creation of modern fundamental rights related to IT and Artificial Intelligence (AI)>, <reform of the parliamentary election system>, and <reform of the National Election Commission>.
This forum was co-hosted by the National Unity Committee, the Republic of Korea Constitutional Association, Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers Song Young-gil and Han Jun-ho, People Power Party lawmaker Joo Ho-young, the Korean Constitutional Law Association, and the Korean Political Science Association.
(Photo: Provided by the National Unity Committee, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.