Growing Controversy Over 'Public Choice'… "State Clearly You Won't Seek Re-election"

[Anchor]

The controversy over a constitutional amendment allowing a sitting president to seek consecutive terms has largely been fueled by remarks from certain ruling party figures who left the possibility open, calling it a matter of "public choice." Although President Lee Jae-myung stated that his term is constitutionally limited, the People Power Party has urged him to explicitly declare that he will not run for consecutive terms.

Continuing with reporter Kim Kwan-jin.

[Reporter]

Regarding President Lee Jae-myung's remark that "the term is clearly limited by the Constitution," the People Power Party criticized it as mere "wordplay," pointing out that he did not explicitly say he would "not seek consecutive or multiple terms."

[Chang Dong-hyeok / Leader, People Power Party : He is ultimately failing to say those words: there will be no crafty constitutional amendments, and I will not seek consecutive terms.]

While the Democratic Party did not issue an official statement, responses rebutting the People Power Party's criticism followed from within the party.

[Song Ki-heon / Member, Democratic Party : My thought is that the President does not necessarily need to speak on the matter.]

Regarding the possibility of a constitutional amendment for a sitting president's consecutive terms, Minister of Government Legislation Cho Won-chul, a classmate of President Lee from the Judicial Research and Training Institute, stated during a parliamentary audit in October of last year that it is "an issue for the public to decide." Furthermore, National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik, who formerly served as a political special advisor to President Lee, caused a stir with remarks made last July.

[Cho Jeong-sik / Speaker of the National Assembly (Last July) : Ultimately, I think it is a matter of public opinion and the choice of the sovereign people.]

Within some segments of the broader ruling bloc's support base, a so-called "3+4 consecutive term theory" has even emerged, suggesting that for the sake of constitutional reform, President Lee could shorten his current term to three years and run again to serve an additional four years.

The related political sparring continued during the negotiation group speeches delivered by party leaders on the 7th and 8th.

[Kim Min-seok / Leader, Democratic Party (on the 7th) : The restructuring of power should go as far as the public desires.]

[Chung Jeom-seok / Floor Leader, People Power Party (The day before yesterday) : We will never discuss constitutional amendment with forces seeking to pursue private interests through it.]

While some academics suggest that consecutive terms could be made possible through a "two-step constitutional amendment"—first revising or deleting Article 128, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, and then amending Article 70 regarding the single five-year presidential term—many hold the view that consecutive terms for a sitting president are fundamentally impossible given the intent of the current Constitution to block any attempts at long-term rule.

(Video reporting: Oh Young-chun, Kim Yong-woo | Video editing: Yu Mi-ra | Design: Hwang Se-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.