Topic: Proposal for Swift Constitutional Amendment
Speaker Woo Won-shik addresses the nation, emphasizing the urgent need for constitutional reform. He points out the broad public consensus for amendment following periods of political turmoil and recognizes the limitations of the outdated constitution in hindering societal progress. The proposed amendment aims to address political reform, enhance democracy, and improve the quality of life for citizens.
Summary of Key Points
- Critical Timing: Advocates initiating amendments before a new president’s term to prevent political stagnation.
- Concurrent Referendum: Proposes holding a constitutional referendum simultaneously with the upcoming presidential election.
- Power Restructuring: Focuses on modifying power structures to ensure national sovereignty and unity.
- Addressing Societal Changes: Highlights the necessity of incorporating current social and national demands into the constitution, including countermeasures for low birth rates, aging population, polarization and climate change.
- Legislative Actions Needed: Calls for revising the National Referendum Act and establishing a special parliamentary committee for constitutional amendment.
Full Speech Content
To my respected fellow citizens, I am Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly.
Today, I would like to propose to the citizens that we proceed swiftly with constitutional amendment. Following the unconstitutional, illegal state of emergency and the impeachment crisis, there is greater public consensus than ever before on the urgency of constitutional amendment. Although the national chaos caused by the Constitutional Court election has subsided, the potential for destructive conflicts surrounding presidential power remains.
The limitations of the outdated constitution, which has lagged behind the changes of the times, have long restricted social development and the improvement of the quality of life for the people. The demands for political reform to end extreme confrontational politics and for social reform to change the quality of life and enhance democracy are converging on constitutional amendment. Constitutional amendment is a demand of the times to transform the hardships experienced by the entire nation due to the extreme conflicts and chaos of the past four months into an opportunity for a major transformation of the Republic of Korea.
Although we have averted an emergency situation that could have destroyed all the achievements of the Republic of Korea at once, fundamental measures are needed to prevent such an event from happening again. While the state of emergency is not a fault of the constitution, we must take this opportunity to supplement the constitution and build structural defenses. The key is to ensure that the principle of checks and balances, which supports democracy, functions through the constitution.
To eliminate the dangers of winner-take-all and move towards national sovereignty, we must disperse power, and to move towards national unity, we must effectively institutionalize cooperation. We need a constitutional amendment that strengthens the pillars of the separation of powers for national sovereignty and national unity. It is also urgent to reflect the changed social landscape and national demands.
Since the 1987 constitutional amendment, there have been significant changes over the past 38 years. We have entered the ranks of developed countries through remarkable economic growth alongside democracy, and the public’s awareness of sovereignty has also increased. However, structural crises such as low birth rates, aging, and polarization have deepened, and we are also facing new challenges such as climate change and the digital transformation.
The task of creating paths through laws and institutions, especially the major thoroughfare of the constitution, has not been addressed in a timely manner, leading to a separation between reality and the constitution, and even pathological phenomena. We need a constitutional amendment that infuses the constitution with vitality that corresponds to the times. To make constitutional amendment a success, we must first address the reasons why constitutional amendment has repeatedly failed despite the consensus among the majority of the people on its necessity.
Since the launch of the Sixth Republic, most major candidates have pledged constitutional amendment in each of the past six presidential elections, but concrete procedures have been initiated only once. In the National Assembly, official constitutional discussions have been repeated for nearly 20 years since 2008, but have not been successful. This is because the calculations of each political force differ and their interests conflict.
The biggest issue has been the restructuring of power. The calculations differed depending on the position of the ruling and opposition parties and the political landscape. At the beginning of the presidential term, there is hesitation that constitutional amendment may become a black hole for state affairs, and in the second half of the term, the driving force disappears due to the lame duck effect.
To avoid repeating this vicious cycle, we must break ground before the new president’s term begins. The current moment, when the direction of constitutional amendment—the demand of the times to disperse power and achieve national sovereignty and national unity—has become clearest, is the right time to make constitutional amendment a success. I propose that the constitutional referendum be held simultaneously with this presidential election.
We should agree within the time limit, but we must take this opportunity to address the most difficult issue of power structure reform. Deficiencies can be addressed through a second constitutional amendment along with next year’s local elections. The people’s command and desire to elect the president with their own hands led to the rapid success of the 1987 direct election system constitutional amendment.
Now, the people’s desire is to change the root cause of extreme political conflict: the imperial presidential system and the winner-take-all political structure. It is no longer enough for the people to directly elect representatives; we must ensure that those representatives, from the president to the National Assembly, work properly. If the National Assembly responds responsibly to this desire, it can also achieve the 2025 national sovereignty and national unity constitutional amendment.
Two things are needed for constitutional amendment to succeed: a political and social agreement to promote constitutional amendment and a constitutional amendment proposal that can be specifically agreed upon. I believe that both have a certain degree of foundation.
Voices actively agreeing to promote constitutional amendment are high not only in various sectors of society but also in each political party. There has been much discussion on the constitutional amendment proposal. All that remains is to choose which plan to go with.
The Speaker of the National Assembly has also been operating an advisory committee and preparing to support the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Constitutional Amendment whenever it is formed. The remaining task is to enter the constitutional amendment procedure. I propose amending the National Referendum Act and forming a special committee on constitutional amendment in the National Assembly for the constitutional referendum of each political party.
Currently, the biggest procedural obstacle hindering the national demand for constitutional amendment is the National Referendum Act. The provisions on overseas Korean voting rights, which have been ruled unconstitutional, must be revised. Since 1989, there has been little progress, and there are many contents that are inconsistent with the Public Official Election Act, which has steadily reflected demands for suffrage, including the early voting system and lowering the voting age.
It is urgent to amend the National Referendum Act to address suffrage infringement and create a legal basis for simultaneous voting with public office elections. Although it is tight, an amendment bill has already been introduced. If there is a will to amend the constitution this time, the deadline can be met.
I ask each political party to expedite the discussions. Secondly, let’s immediately form a special committee on constitutional amendment in the National Assembly. Considering the time required for the constitutional amendment procedure, it is urgent to form a special committee to quickly agree on the first minimal constitutional amendment proposal.
As the national demand for the broad direction is clear and there is sufficient limited content in various fields, the Speaker of the National Assembly will do his best to support the constitutional amendment proposal so that it can be derived as quickly as possible. It is said that nothing can be achieved without people, but nothing can be sustained without institutions.
The Republic of Korea has overcome crises with the capabilities of its people. Now, we must reduce political and social conflicts with institutional mechanisms that create a government that can engage in dialogue and compromise and unite the people, and pour national capabilities into a new leap forward. That is why constitutional amendment is needed now.
At a time when the world is paying attention to the Republic of Korea’s democratic resilience, let’s once again demonstrate the Republic of Korea’s democratic capabilities through a successful constitutional amendment. Thank you.
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