{"id":2209026,"date":"2025-04-07T08:00:45","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T23:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2209026"},"modified":"2025-04-06T23:17:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-06T14:17:53","slug":"national-assembly-speakers-call-for-constitutional-reform-faces-resistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/04\/national-assembly-speakers-call-for-constitutional-reform-faces-resistance\/","title":{"rendered":"National Assembly Speaker\u2019s call for constitutional reform faces resistance"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik on Sunday <\/span>proposed<\/span><\/a> holding a national referendum on constitutional revision concurrently with the upcoming early presidential election. Woo called for a reformed political structure that decentralizes power and strengthens checks and balances, emphasizing that the current constitutional framework, designed decades ago, no longer aligns with the political realities and social demands of contemporary South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n Woo\u2019s proposal sparked immediate backlash from within the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), particularly from lawmakers aligned with party leader Lee Jae-myung. They <\/span>argued<\/span><\/a> that the priority should be addressing the fallout from former President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s removal from office, not undertaking a contentious and complex constitutional overhaul. Some DP lawmakers openly <\/span>questioned<\/span><\/a> the timing of Woo\u2019s proposal, arguing that pushing for reform now would distract the country from holding accountable those who were behind Yoon\u2019s martial law declaration.<\/span><\/p>\n WHY IT MATTERS<\/b><\/p>\n Woo\u2019s call for constitutional reform is unlikely to gain traction without the backing of Lee Jae-myung or his faction with the DP. Lee, who is the clear favorite to become the next president, has little incentive to support a proposal that would curtail his own potential executive authority. Lee\u2019s lack of support makes significant change unlikely.<\/span><\/p>\n