The National Assembly will convene a plenary session on Friday to vote on a constitutional amendment jointly proposed by six parliamentary parties, excluding the People Power Party (PPP). The amendment, the first such effort in 39 years since 1987, is expected to be rejected due to opposition from the PPP, the main opposition party.
Jang Dong-hyuk, PPP leader, said on Thursday after meeting with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, who visited to persuade the party to participate in the vote, "I made it clear that the PPP's party line is to oppose the constitutional amendment." PPP lawmaker Han Ji-ah said, "It is regrettable that the party line is being imposed in a top-down manner." Despite some dissent within the party, observers widely expect that the amendment is unlikely to pass through defecting votes.
The amendment faces difficulty passing the National Assembly without PPP cooperation. Approval requires support from at least 191 lawmakers, or two-thirds of the 286 sitting members. At least 12 PPP lawmakers would need to vote in favor. The PPP has maintained its opposition as a party line, calling it a "hasty amendment for electoral purposes." The party is also considering boycotting the plenary session to invalidate the vote itself.
Meanwhile, President Lee Jae-myung reiterated the need for constitutional reform at a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House the same day, saying, "I hope all political circles will put into practice what they have unanimously said."
