National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and six parliamentary parties excluding the People Power Party (PPP), including the Democratic Party of Korea, launched joint efforts to propose a constitutional amendment bill on May 31.
Passage through the National Assembly plenary session requires consent from at least 10 PPP lawmakers, but the party's leadership has maintained its opposition, leaving the prospect of an actual amendment uncertain.
Speaker Woo held a cross-party floor leaders' press conference at the National Assembly to promote a bipartisan push for constitutional revision. "I feel a desperate sense that we may never get an opportunity like this again," he said. "We have decided to pursue the introduction of a constitutional amendment bill with the unanimous support of all floor leaders present."
Attending the conference were floor leaders Han Byeong-do of the Democratic Party of Korea, Seo Wang-jin of the Rebuilding Korea Party, Yun Jong-o of the Progressive Party, Cheon Ha-ram of the Reform Party, and Han Chang-min of the Social Democratic Party. Yong Hye-in, floor leader of the Basic Income Party, was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts but agreed to join the co-sponsorship.
The amendment bill includes provisions to enshrine the ideals of the Buma Democratic Uprising and the May 18 Democratization Movement in the constitutional preamble, strengthen National Assembly oversight of martial law declarations, and promote balanced regional development. It also calls for pursuing a phased constitutional revision and holding a national referendum alongside the June 3 local elections. "There is still time between the introduction of the amendment bill and the National Assembly vote expected in early May," Speaker Woo said, urging the PPP to participate.
The amendment bill is scheduled to be officially introduced on June 6. To hold the constitutional referendum simultaneously with the June 3 local elections, a plenary vote must take place between May 4 and May 10. The quorum for passing a constitutional amendment requires approval from at least two-thirds of all seated lawmakers — 197 out of the current 295 members. This means at least 10 PPP lawmakers must vote in favor for the bill to clear the National Assembly.
Prior to the press conference, Speaker Woo met with PPP leader Chang Dong-hyuk to request participation in the amendment discussions, but Chang expressed a negative stance. "This cannot avoid suspicion that it is a preliminary step toward a constitutional revision of the governing structure that would allow President Lee Jae-myung to seek re-election," Chang said after the meeting. "I question whether it is right to push this through as if executing a military operation ahead of local elections."