The National Assembly attempted a constitutional amendment for the first time in 39 years since 1987, but it fell through. The People Power Party kept "opposition to the amendment" as its party line and did not attend the plenary session. The Democratic Party of Korea, in response to the failure to form a vote on the amendment, plans to keep the plenary session open through the 10th.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik declared around 4:04 p.m. on the 7th that the vote on the amendment was not constituted. Because the People Power Party did not take part in the vote, only 178 lawmakers were present, failing to meet the quorum. Earlier, Woo put the amendment on the floor around 2:25 p.m. that day. The quorum to adopt a constitutional amendment is two-thirds (191) of the total 286 members; if that is not met, a vote cannot be held at all.
Earlier, the Democratic Party and five other opposition parties introduced an amendment to include in the preamble of the Constitution the spirit of the Buma Democratic Uprising and the May 18 Democratization Movement. It also strengthens the National Assembly's authority regarding a presidential declaration of martial law and mandates balanced regional development by the state. To hold a national referendum on the amendment at the same time as the June 3 local elections, the amendment must clear the National Assembly by the 10th.
Han Byung-do, the Democratic Party floor leader, said in presenting the amendment, "A constitutional amendment is the work of realizing the people's will in constitutional terms and shaping the path of people's lives," and noted, "In particular, while the current Constitution stipulates the requirements and procedures for martial law, it lacks contingency measures in the event that unconstitutional or illegal martial law is attempted."
After the amendment was put on the agenda, debate continued between the Democratic Party and the People Power Party. Chun Joon-ho, senior deputy floor leader for operations of the Democratic Party, said, "There is ultimately one real reason the People Power Party is not attending the vote: it is defending illegal martial law," calling it "a thorough betrayal of the people's will that stopped insurrection and of the history of defending democracy."
By contrast, Yoo Sang-bum, senior deputy floor leader for operations of the People Power Party, referring to the recently introduced "special counsel bill on fabricated indictments" by the Democratic Party, said, "They are instead taking the lead in dismantling the judicial system and trampling on the rule of law," and added, "If we are to amend the Constitution, we must do so through liberal democracy and the rule of law, with repeated deliberation, to embody the right intent."
Speaker Woo waited about 30 minutes when People Power Party lawmakers did not enter the chamber. After declaring the vote not constituted, he said, "After suffering great pain under martial law, the aim is to amend the Constitution so that such a thing can never happen again, and that is the historic duty given to the National Assembly, but the vote was not constituted."
Speaker Woo and the Democratic Party plan to repeatedly convene plenary sessions through the 10th, the deadline for the National Assembly to act on the amendment. Passage of the amendment requires 191 votes in favor. Excluding the People Power Party, the Democratic Party, five other opposition parties, and independents who can vote hold 179 seats. Even if the People Power Party takes part in the vote, 12 defections would still be needed.