Hong Ik-pyo, the Chief of Staff to the President, stated on July 29 that a constitutional amendment allowing for presidential re-election is practically impossible under the current constitution, in response to recent comments by National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik.

During an appearance on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Hong noted, "The President is well aware of the content of Article 128, Section 2 of the Constitution, and he has reiterated this several times." He added, "The President has already expressed his position multiple times."

Regarding discussions on electoral reform for a re-election amendment, he clarified, "There has been no planning from the Blue House on this matter," and emphasized that there is no intention to reform the political landscape, stating that a constitutional amendment and re-election do not logically connect through political restructuring.

On the resignation of Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho, Hong remarked, "There has been no official announcement yet," and expressed the belief that the minister should fulfill his role until the launch of the Corruption Investigation Office and the High-Ranking Officials Crime Investigation Unit in October.

Hong also addressed the issue of supplementary investigative powers, stating, "There has been no change in our position that the party should decide based on the abolition of these powers."

Meanwhile, regarding rumors of backdoor dealings related to the cancellation of indictments surrounding supplementary investigative powers, he dismissed them as a 'conspiracy theory,' asserting, "There is no reason to engage in backdoor dealings with the prosecution, nor do we have any intention to do so."

In response to the controversy surrounding his statement that 'the re-election of the current president is a matter for the people's choice,' National Assembly Speaker Cho reiterated, "The re-election of the current president is not a subject of constitutional amendment discussions."

In a post on Facebook, Cho explained, "Article 128, Section 2 of the Constitution stipulates that even if a constitutional amendment is made to extend the presidential term or change the rules for re-election, it does not apply to the sitting president at that time."

He further stated, "The content of Article 128, Section 2 must be respected, and the re-election of the sitting president is not a subject of future constitutional amendment discussions," adding that his comments at a press conference were meant to clarify that any constitutional amendment, including changes to the power structure, requires agreement among political actors and the choice of the people.

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