Ruling party floor leader calls for reforms to limit presidential powers

Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, smiles while delivering a speech at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), proposed on Tuesday an amendment to the Constitution to limit excessive presidential power.

“I am convinced that constitutional reform is the fundamental solution to the ongoing political crisis,” he said in a policy speech delivered before the National Assembly. “We now need to consider a system that can decentralize the excessive power of an imperial president and limit the abuse of power by an imperial parliament.”

Kweon pointed out that when power is concentrated in the hands of the president, securing the presidency becomes a matter of life or death for both the ruling and opposition parties.

“Extreme political division continues throughout the five-year presidency. It is time to break this vicious cycle,” he said.

The PPP floor leader called for changes to the system, including restructuring electoral districts, even if it means “shortening our own terms.”

In his latest speech, he blamed the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) for prompting President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law.

“Without a doubt, the DPK is the initiator and main instigator of the national crisis,” he said, adding that the main opposition party's impeachment proceedings against the broadcasting watchdog chief, state auditor chief and senior prosecutors have severely undermined the integrity of public service and paralyzed the administration.

“It is a political conspiracy to bring catastrophe upon state affairs and prepare for an early presidential election before DPK leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung’s sentence is confirmed,” he said.

Lee has been convicted of violating the Public Official Election Act by making false statements during his presidential campaign, resulting in a one-year suspended prison sentence. He has also been indicted on charges of misusing public funds during his time as governor of Gyeonggi Province.

Kweon stressed that the fiscal budget cut unilaterally carried out by the DPK must be reversed and supplemented.

“Just a month ago, the DPK cut over 4 trillion won ($2.7 billion) from the 2025 budget, and now it is calling for a supplementary budget. How ironic is that? They must apologize to the public and public officials before we discuss the supplementary budget," he said.

Kweon said the extra budget should focus on boosting the economy, supporting the vulnerable and strengthening industrial competitiveness, particularly in the artificial intelligence sector, rather than increasing the issuance of local currency vouchers.

Lee has supported the issuance of local currency vouchers as a means to stimulate regional economies and support small businesses, especially during times of economic hardship. However, the PPP argues that such policies increase public debt and are ineffective in achieving long-term economic growth.

Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), second from left, shakes hands with Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, former floor leader of the PPP, after delivering a speech at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The PPP floor leader also urged the swift passage of the Special Semiconductor Act this month, which would exempt semiconductor workers from the 52-hour weekly work limit.

Praising Yoon’s foreign policy of strengthening ties with the U.S. and Japan, Kweon stressed the need to keep the Seoul-Washington alliance strong.

Opposition parties accused the PPP of refusing to take responsibility for its role in the martial law debacle.

"The PPP is not concerned with improving the livelihoods of the people or the economy. Its only focus is to attack the DPK and its leader, Rep. Lee Jae-myung," Rep. Yoon Jong-kun, a spokesperson for the DPK, said.

The minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP) also criticized Kweon for shifting the blame onto the DPK, Lee and former President Moon Jae-in.

"The ruling party’s floor leader should assess the current crisis and propose a solution. Instead, all he did was point fingers at others for the political turmoil," Kim Bo-hyeop, chief spokesperson for the RKP, said.