Lee administration aims to reshape power structure through constitutional reform

President Lee Jae Myung speaks with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, left, and Lee Han-joo, right, chairperson of the State Affairs Planning Committee, during a public policy briefing hosted by the committee in Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

The Lee Jae Myung administration will pursue a constitutional amendment during its five-year term to better embody the principle of popular sovereignty, the State Affairs Planning Committee announced Wednesday.

The government also aims to significantly reduce the influence of prosecutors and police, restructure the military to guarantee political neutrality and ensure media independence — key elements of an ambitious reform agenda designed to fundamentally transform the nation’s power dynamics.

The measures were detailed in the committee’s final report, released Wednesday. Chaired by Lee Han-joo, the committee was established with a 60-day mandate to draft key policies for the new administration. It was formed after Lee took office immediately following his victory in the June 3 snap presidential election, without the usual two-month transition period.

Constitutional reform, which was one of the centerpieces of Lee's campaign, was identified by the committee as the top priority in the governance sector.

Korea's current Constitution, last amended in 1987 in the wake of the pro-democracy movement, has long faced criticism for its outdated and inadequate checks on presidential power. The president serves a single five-year term as both head of state and head of government, with sweeping authority to appoint top officials without parliamentary approval, the power to veto legislation and command of the military.

During the election campaign, Lee proposed a Constitutional amendment to allow a four-year, two-term presidency. He also called for the National Assembly to recommend the prime minister and approve the appointment of major agency heads in order to rebalance power between the executive and legislative branches.

Prosecutorial reform is a major pillar of the Lee government’s state agenda, as outlined by the committee. While previous liberal administrations pursued similar initiatives, they ultimately fell through.

Supreme Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul / Yonhap

Korea’s prosecution service, which currently holds exclusive authority over indictments, has long been accused of wielding unchecked power. In response, the committee outlined reforms aimed at clearly separating investigative and prosecutorial functions to enhance transparency and accountability.

The proposed changes seek to curb the prosecution’s broad influence over investigations, a move that the administration argues is essential to restoring public trust in the justice system.

"The prosecution office, which has often abused its authority through targeted investigations, will be abolished," said Lee Hae-sik, who headed the committee's political and administrative division, during a televised briefing on the committee's report.

"We will complete the prosecutorial reform by separating investigation and indictment through the establishment of an office handling major crimes investigation and the prosecution office, while also reducing prosecutorial influence within the Ministry of Justice," he added.

The committee also vowed to ensure the military’s political neutrality and transform it into an institution that safeguards popular sovereignty by making sure that it does not influence political affairs.

The Lee government's push to reform the military was a key pledge of the liberal president, whose election win came in the wake of a political crisis triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s abrupt imposition of martial law and his subsequent impeachment. Then-Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun and senior military officials were found to have been deeply involved in enforcing the emergency rule.

The administration also plans to restore the credibility of public broadcasters by overhauling their governance, to expand public participation in state affairs and to promote deliberative democracy. In addition, the committee said the government will seek to foster national unity by investigating past state crimes and restoring the honor of victims and their families.

The proposed measures will undergo government review before being finalized at a Cabinet meeting.