Why Constitutional Reform is Crucial for South Korea: A Call for Unity by Speaker Woo Won-sik

Translation result

[iNews24 reporter Jo Jung-hoon] Speaker Woo Won-shik urged the People Power Party to cooperate, saying that if lawmakers file the amendment bill by April 7, a national referendum can be held simultaneously with the June 3 local elections, which would ensure greater convenience and higher turnout.

Woo made the remarks at the Second Joint Party Meeting for Bipartisan Constitutional Amendment Efforts. Six parties from both the ruling and opposition blocs attended the meeting; the People Power Party did not participate.

He said the six parties’ floor leaders had met earlier and agreed that constitutional revision is not optional but a responsibility. The Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising and the May 18 Democratization Movement, he added, are cornerstones of Korean democracy, and enshrining them in the constitution’s preamble cannot be postponed.

He continued that history has shown no power can defeat the people. The illegal imposition of emergency martial law on December 3 was overcome by popular resolve. Because this stemmed from a constitutional gap, he argued, the constitution should be amended to require parliamentary approval for declarations of martial law.

He said constitutional revision is not a partisan issue but concerns South Korea’s future and the health of its democracy. He has appealed to the People Power Party via handwritten letters and other channels, but they have not yet joined the effort, which he described as regrettable. He said he intends to request their participation again.

Immediately after the meeting, Woo reiterated the need for a constitutional amendment at a press conference in front of the main building steps calling for the inclusion of the Bu-Ma and May 18 movements in the constitution’s preamble.