Assembly Speaker Wants Revision to Constitution by June
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o started a push for a constitutional revision based on the spirit of bottom-up democracy, Friday, proposing that the amendment be completed before next June.
Kim urged the governing and opposition parties to set up a bipartisan task force immediately to discuss details of constitutional change so that the revision can be made before the local elections.
Major parties have said they share the need for change. But they say now is not an appropriate time to start the debate because disputes over major bills prevent them from looking beyond the current Assembly standoff.
Cheong Wa Dae gave a similarly lukewarm response to Kim's proposal, saying that revising the basic law would be time-consuming and building a public consensus was a prerequisite.
In his speech during a ceremony to mark the 61st Constitution Day, Kim said a revision of the Constitution - the last one was made in 1987 in the wake of pro-democracy protests - was a "historical task" that should be completed by next year.
"We should reflect the global trends in the 21st century such as globalization and information technology in the new Constitution, and how we can handle them as well. There have been nine constitutional amendments so far, but all were motivated for the sake of the ruling camp to extend its rule, except the ninth amendment," he said.
Attending the Constitution Day ceremony in the Assembly building were about 1,500 representatives of the government, judiciary and foreign embassies.
The speaker, who has spearheaded the drive for revision, said a new Constitution should inherit the spirit of bottom-up democracy in the ninth amendment.
Kim said the current Constitution led to executive tyranny as a result of poorly working checks and balances, stressing the need to address a larger role for the legislature.
To prevent what he called malfunctions, he proposed improving checks and balances, responsiveness to the changing environment and social integration as the three guiding principles to any revision.
Leaders of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) said change was necessary as the Constitution was last amended two decades ago, but that now was not the time to discuss the matter.
Chung Sye-kyun, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), made it clear he opposed any "politically motivated" constitutional revision, saying it should be discussed at the proper time.
The DP leader rejected Kim's proposal of establishing a joint-committee, insisting the speaker was trying to curry favor by misleading the public with the proposal.
Lee Hoi-chang, chairman of the Liberty Forward Party (LFP), agreed on the necessity of constitutional revision, but also said the timing was not good for the debate.
President Lee Myung-bak didn't comment on the matter, and his aides say he will not do so until a bipartisan agreement is made.