Cheong Wa Dae on the 8th expressed regret over the failure of the National Assembly's plenary session to pass a constitutional revision bill centered on measures such as "strengthening conditions for amendment," saying, "The public will find it hard to accept why even a minimal constitutional amendment to safeguard national security and democracy was opposed." It also labeled the discussion on constitutional amendment a "task of the times" and said it "will push ahead steadfastly together with the people."
Chief spokesperson Kang Yu-jung of Cheong Wa Dae said that day, "We express regret that the handling of the constitutional revision bill at the plenary session ultimately fell through due to opposition from lawmakers of the People Power Party."
Kang said, "This amendment bill includes provisions to enshrine in the preamble of the Constitution the spirit of the Buma Democratic Uprising and the May 18 Democratization Movement, and to stipulate the state's responsibility for balanced regional development and to strengthen the National Assembly's authority to control martial law," adding, "It reflected a public demand to incorporate into the Constitution the lessons of the unlawful martial law incident of Dec. 3, and there were no major disagreements between the ruling and opposition parties."
Kang also said, "The discussion on constitutional amendment that was promised to the people must never be halted," and added, "We ask that the discussion on amendment continue in the latter half of the National Assembly with a more responsible attitude so that the promise to the people is kept." Kang continued, "A constitutional amendment is not merely about fixing a system," and said, "It should be a new starting point to restore consultative politics, national unity, and social harmony beyond extreme confrontation and political strife."
The amendment bill was introduced on the 3rd by 187 lawmakers, including those from the Democratic Party of Korea, the Rebuilding Korea Party, The Progressive Party, the Reform Party, the Basic Income Party, The Social Democratic Party of Korea, and six independents, and it included provisions to ▲specify in the preamble of the Constitution the democratic ideals of the May 18 Democratization Movement and the Buma Democratic Uprising and ▲strengthen the conditions for the president to declare martial law.
Under the National Assembly Act, a constitutional amendment bill passes only if at least two-thirds (191) of all incumbent lawmakers (286) vote in favor. The People Power Party viewed the revision as a "hasty, election-driven amendment," set party policy to oppose it, and did not attend the plenary vote the previous day. As a result, the number of voters fell short of the quorum, and handling of the amendment bill failed due to "failure to constitute a vote."
On the 8th, just one day after the vote fell through, the People Power Party filed for a filibuster (unlimited debate), and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik did not put the amendment bill back on the agenda. Woo said, "As of today, the procedures for a June 3 vote to implement the amendment are suspended." With this, the amendment bill has now failed to be handled due to "failure to constitute a vote" for the third time, following 2018 and 2020 under the Moon Jae-in administration up to this day.