Talks sluggish on constitutional reform

By Kang Seung-woo

The National Assembly has begun work to amend the Constitution ahead of the next presidential election, but this remains a tricky issue due to the varied opinions of different factions and prominent politicians.

The floor leaders of rival parties said Monday they have agreed to form a special committee to discuss a constitutional amendment next month with a view to changing the current five-year, single-term presidency.

However, it will not be easy for them to make progress in their talks due to strong opposition from presidential hopefuls, including former main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Moon Jae-in, as well as the short period of time left before the next presidential election, analysts said, Tuesday.

In the wake of the corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil, there have been intensifying calls for an amendment to the current Constitution, which has resulted in presidents acting without check as they are unconcerned with winning a reelection, despite it being intended to prevent any head of state from holding onto power through illicit means. On Friday, the Assembly voted overwhelmingly to impeach Park ― 234 to 56.

“The nation should elect a new president under a new constitutional system,” former Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moo-sung said in a forum on constitutional amendment at the Assembly, Tuesday.

“As the rival parties agreed to set up a special committee for constitutional amendment, we should concentrate all efforts on revising the Constitution as quickly as we can.”

He added: “Under the current presidential system, all previous presidents have failed and I think the system is a major culprit for their failures.”

DPK Rep. Kim Boo-kyum, one of the presidential hopefuls, also called for the Assembly to begin discussing amending the Constitution immediately.

“The 1987 Constitution cannot keep an imperial and corrupt president in check,” Kim said in a press conference, citing former President Roh Moo-hyun.

“The winner-take-all election system that helps solidify the political establishment should be revised.”

Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun also stressed the importance of the proposed amendment.

“We should not retain the imperial presidential system,” he said in a press conference, Monday.

However, it remains to be seen if the Constitution will be amended in time for the presidential election, originally scheduled for December 2017, given the opposition’s presidential hopefuls who disagree with the issue.

Moon, the most favored potential candidate in the polls, opposes the idea, calling the drive “politically motivated.”

He has stressed that presidential candidates should pledge any constitutional amendments after being elected rather than hurrying it along in a short period.

He also denounced the Saenuri Party’s push to amend the Constitution as a ploy to extend its rule.

Along with Moon, Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a former co-chairman of the second-largest opposition People’s Party, also remain negative about changing the Constitution.

People’s Party floor leader Park Jie-won also doubts it will be “physically” possible ahead of the presidential election. Park supports the proposed amendment unlike Ahn.

“Although the special committee for constitutional amendment will be set up, it is not likely to be done in what seems like a short period,” he said in a party meeting, Tuesday.

“If the Constitutional Court approves the impeachment in March, the presidential election will be held in May. In that respect, it does not seem that the election will be held under the new Constitution.”

Bae Jong-chan, the chief director of political pollster Research and Research, said, “As Moon and a majority of DPK members do not agree with the amendment, it seems unlikely to pass in time for the presidential election.”

The amendment has to be proposed by more than half of the serving representatives in the National Assembly and passed by two-thirds of ballots in a floor vote. For final approval, a referendum would have to be conducted within 30 days after the Assembly vote.