Minister Cho Won-cheol of the Ministry of Government Legislation said that if a four-year presidential re-election system is introduced through constitutional revision, President Lee Jae-myung would not be subject to it, but added that it is for the public to decide. Cho was a Judicial Research and Training Institute classmate of Lee and served as a defense attorney in the Daejang-dong case.
On the 24th, at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the government, Minister Cho answered "That is what the Constitution provides" to the question, "Even if the Constitution is revised to a four-year re-election system, wouldn't President Lee be unable to seek another term?"
However, when People Power Party lawmaker Gwak Gyu-taek again asked, saying that figures in the ruling camp are speaking ambiguously about whether the re-election system applies, Minister Cho explained, "On the point you raised, it ultimately seems like a matter for the public to decide." Gwak responded by criticizing, "That remark itself is ambiguous."
Choo Mi-ae, the Democratic Party of Korea's Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairperson, also said, "There is no need to provide fresh controversy by leaving room for ambiguous interpretations," and added, "Do not say it depends on the public will. Since no one has questioned the current Constitution, there is no need to bother reviewing it—wouldn't that be correct?"
In response to Chairperson Choo's point, Minister Cho explained, "It seems I answered without having conducted sufficient review of that part."
Regarding the Democratic Party's push for a constitutional complaint against court judgments, Minister Cho said, "Some say a constitutional complaint denies the three-instance trial system and introduces a four-instance system, but I hold the opposite view," adding, "It is an exceptional adjudication procedure by the Constitutional Court intended to correct areas where violations of basic rights may arise for the public."