National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik proposed the creation of a new constitutional draft next year to finalize a 10th amendment [2].
The proposal comes as South Korea grapples with the limitations of the 1987 system, which has remained in place for approximately 40 years [1]. Updating the nation's foundational law is seen as a way to modernize governance, but the process requires significant cooperation between opposing political factions.
Cho said the announcement during the events marking the 78th Constitution Day [1]. The ceremony in the National Assembly's main chamber included a reading of the preamble and a symbolic performance involving the seal of the original constitution.
The People Power Party, the opposition party, criticized the proposal. A party official said the move was a "political card" [1]. The party suggested that the timing and nature of the proposal were based on strategic political gain rather than a genuine effort to reform the state.
Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the opposition party, did not attend the Constitution Day event. Instead, he traveled to Olympic Park [2]. His absence highlighted the deep rift between the Speaker's office and the opposition regarding the timeline and necessity of the amendment.
Cho said the goal is to prepare the draft next year [1]. He said that the 22nd National Assembly should be the body to conclude the 10th amendment process [2]. This would mark the first major overhaul of the constitution in decades, aiming to address systemic issues that the 1987 framework no longer solves.
“내년 개헌안 마련”
The push for a 10th constitutional amendment reflects a growing consensus that the 1987 democratic framework is outdated. However, the immediate rejection by the People Power Party underscores the extreme polarization in South Korean politics. Because constitutional changes require supermajorities, the Speaker's proposal is likely to remain a point of contention rather than a catalyst for immediate legal reform.
