Lawmakers attend a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 7, 2026. Yonhap
SEOUL, May 7 (AJP) - A proposed bill to partially amend the constitution, led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), stalled at the National Assembly in Seoul on Thursday after the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) boycotted a parliamentary vote, leaving it short of the quorum required to proceed with only 178 lawmakers taking part.
National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik and DP lawmakers vowed to reconvene another plenary session on Friday to put the bill back to a vote.
The proposed amendment seeks to include key democratic movements and struggles in South Korea's history including the May 1980 Gwangju uprising, in the constitution's preamble to reaffirm democratic values following disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle in December 2024.
It would also require a president to obtain National Assembly approval within 48 hours of declaring martial law. If approval is not secured within 48 hours, or if the National Assembly votes to lift martial law, the declaration would immediately lose effect, to prevent a repeat of incidents like Yoon's short-lived, overnight bid.
The proposal also includes provisions to promote balanced regional development.
The PPP, however, has opposed the amendment, calling for more deliberation rather than rushing it through ahead of local elections slated for early next month.
To pass, it requires approval from at least two-thirds of all lawmakers. If all 106 PPP lawmakers are absent, the vote cannot be valid. To put it to a national referendum alongside the June 3 local elections, the proposal must clear the National Assembly by no later than May 10.
National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik and DP lawmakers vowed to reconvene another plenary session on Friday to put the bill back to a vote.
The proposed amendment seeks to include key democratic movements and struggles in South Korea's history including the May 1980 Gwangju uprising, in the constitution's preamble to reaffirm democratic values following disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle in December 2024.
It would also require a president to obtain National Assembly approval within 48 hours of declaring martial law. If approval is not secured within 48 hours, or if the National Assembly votes to lift martial law, the declaration would immediately lose effect, to prevent a repeat of incidents like Yoon's short-lived, overnight bid.
The proposal also includes provisions to promote balanced regional development.
The PPP, however, has opposed the amendment, calling for more deliberation rather than rushing it through ahead of local elections slated for early next month.
To pass, it requires approval from at least two-thirds of all lawmakers. If all 106 PPP lawmakers are absent, the vote cannot be valid. To put it to a national referendum alongside the June 3 local elections, the proposal must clear the National Assembly by no later than May 10.
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