President Yoon Suk-yeol noted during the final opinion statement of the impeachment trial that he expressed his intention to shorten the term limit with a constitutional amendment, predicated on his resumption of duty, prompting elder statesmen from both parties to urge on the 26th that "we should promptly push for constitutional amendments." However, opinions on President Yoon's sincerity regarding the constitutional amendment varied.
The 'Elderly Council Concerned about the Country,' composed of former National Assembly speakers, former prime ministers, and former party leaders, held a meeting at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul, in the afternoon.
Attending this meeting were Jeong Dae-cheol, chair of the Constitutional Council, former National Assembly speakers Park Byeong-seok and Jeong Se-kyun, former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, and former leaders of both ruling and opposition parties, including Seo Cheong-won, Kim Moo-sung, Son Hak-kyu, and Hwang Woo-yeo.
Former leader Seo said, "It is fortunate that the President has mentioned in the Constitutional Court that he will seek a constitutional amendment based on the will of the people, and we all agree with that," adding, "What is disappointing is that there is a lack of specificity. The People Power Party needs to communicate concretely to the public to make an impact on the opposition party."
Former leader Son remarked, "After seeing the President's final statement, I thought, 'Could the path to a constitutional amendment be slightly opened?'" He continued, "If the impeachment is dismissed and the President returns, a national unity cabinet must be firmly established. In such a situation, Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, would inevitably have to make some concessions."
Former leader Kim Moo-sung said, "It is timely that President Yoon has taken a proactive stance, so from today, the ruling and opposition parties should agree to suspend the impeachment trial," adding, "I urge the President, who has caused significant issues, to resign and for both parties to engage in dialogue."
In contrast, former Speaker Jeong Se-kyun expressed concern, stating, "Unfortunately, in a situation where we have lost much trust from the public, I worry that (the President's statements) might not hold much utility," and emphasized that "prompt constitutional amendments are key to the future competitiveness of South Korea."
Former Prime Minister Lee expressed, "The current power clash and the state failure resemble the funeral dirge of the '87 system,'" warning that "if we do not amend the constitution, new power will emerge over a dead system." He added, "If morally questionable individuals become power holders, there is no guarantee that a worse collapse will not occur than we have now."
Additionally, they plan to hold a 'National Petition for Constitutional Amendment Signing Campaign Launch Ceremony' at Seoul Station on the 5th of next month. Immediately after the meeting, they conveyed the discussion details to National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik.
Chair Jeong mentioned to reporters, "While there is a constitutional advisory committee in the National Assembly, I conveyed our intention to urge both parties to form a constitutional promotion committee to avoid inaction," adding, "How it will actually play out remains to be seen, but the speaker's response was positive."
He also revealed that about a month ago, he urged Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, to push for constitutional amendments, but Lee only responded by saying, "Let's look into it."