Following comments made by National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik on July 28 regarding the potential for an incumbent president to seek re-election, candidates for the leadership of the Democratic Party expressed their unease.
Candidate Kim Min-seok stated on Facebook on July 29 that "amending the constitution to allow for the re-election of an incumbent president is unrealistic," adding that it is "constitutionally impossible and has been confirmed multiple times by President Lee Jae-myung. This has also been acknowledged by the National Assembly Speaker and the Chief of Staff to the President." He further noted, "The speaker has clarified that his comments were misunderstood, and it is neither appropriate nor necessary to escalate this issue while President Lee is abroad."
Candidate Jung Cheong-rae appeared on CBS Radio's 'Park Seong-tae's News Show' that same day, saying, "It seems the speaker is weak on details. He should have responded that 'it is impossible according to Article 128 of the Constitution.'"
Candidate Song Young-gil also commented on MBC's 'News Today,' stating, "The speaker's remarks are open to misinterpretation. President Lee has clearly stated that an incumbent president is not subject to constitutional amendments under Article 128, Section 2." He added, "We need to complete constitutional amendments, including provisions for the May 18 incident, strengthening the conditions for declaring a state of emergency, and relocating the Board of Audit and Inspection to the National Assembly, during President Lee's term to leave a legacy in our constitutional history. If the issue of presidential re-election is tied to this, will the opposition agree?"
In response to the growing controversy, Speaker Cho expressed regret on Facebook the day before, stating, "I regret that my comments have caused misunderstanding and controversy. I intended to convey that for constitutional amendments, including restructuring power, there must be agreement among political actors and the choice of the people."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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