Cheong Wa Dae on the 14th said that regarding a constitutional amendment that changes the power structure, "A constitutional amendment requires the agreement of 200 or more seats in the National Assembly, so it is desirable for it to be discussed and pursued in the National Assembly."
However, it said, "Because the aim is to complement the limits of the 'imperial presidency' with a 'two-term presidency,' this is not a parliamentary cabinet system." In particular, regarding the golf meeting at which President Lee Jae-myung was known to have made remarks about a "decentralization-type constitutional amendment," it did not issue a specific position and only said, "We are conveying Cheong Wa Dae's principled stance on the constitutional amendment."
A Cheong Wa Dae official met with reporters at Chunchugwan that day and said, "We share the view on the problems of the imperial presidential system."
The official said, "We believe a four-year, two-term presidential system with strengthened powers of the National Assembly has the highest public acceptability," and added, "This was not pointing to any particular model such as a semi-presidential system. The president's principle is that a constitutional amendment requires a consensual push."
Cheong Wa Dae's stance was announced after an opposition lawmaker relayed that President Lee Jae-myung mentioned a "decentralization-type constitutional amendment" during a recent golf meeting with ruling and opposition lawmakers. Earlier, National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik sparked controversy by making remarks at his first press meeting after taking office that could be seen as implying the possibility of an "incumbent president's consecutive term," but the golf meeting took place before Jo's remarks.
According to Rep. Kim Tae-ho of the People Power Party and others in politics, President Lee met ruling and opposition lawmakers early last month and, while playing golf together, said regarding the issue of a decentralization-type constitutional amendment, "We should amend the Constitution even if it shortens my term." Although no specific direction became known, some interpreted that he had in mind restructuring the current single five-year presidential term into, for example, a four-year, two-term system. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik was also said to have been present.
President Lee was also reported to have said, in response to the opposition viewing the constitutional amendment discussion as a "build-up for President Lee's consecutive term" and criticizing it, "Would talk of dictatorship or a consecutive term even make sense to the level of the people of the Republic of Korea?" He was also quoted as saying, "To amend the Constitution, there is a quorum in the National Assembly (two-thirds or more of incumbent lawmakers), and if the People Power Party opposes it, it will not pass," and, "With such a mechanism in place, is there a need to interpret it as being for a consecutive term or dictatorship?"