PPP attacks Lee for dodging question on seeking another term
The main opposition People Power Party says President Lee Jae Myung is avoiding a clear pledge not to seek reelection if constitutional reform permits consecutive terms.
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, center, speaks during a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Sept. 10.NEWS1
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) lashed out at President Lee Jae Myung for "playing with the people with words" as the ruling Democratic Party (DP) pushes for constitutional reform that would allow Korean presidents to seek second terms in office, while Lee refrains from clearly stating that he himself will not aim for reappointment after the reform.
“President Lee's remark was essentially just the first half of a sentence, with the second half — ‘so if I want another term, I absolutely need a constitutional amendment engineered to make it happen’ — conveniently left out,” PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok said at a Supreme Council meeting Thursday. “In the end, he still isn't saying, ‘I won't seek another term.’ How much longer do we have to listen to the president dodge the question?”
Lee made the comments during a meeting with Korean residents in Paris on Wednesday, where he was explaining his rationale for prioritizing overseas travel so early in his term as president.
This statement follows a controversy that erupted in July over a proposed constitutional amendment that would let a sitting president run for a second consecutive term. The debate began after National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik suggested that whether to permit such an amendment should be left up to public opinion.
Lee also wrote on social media on Aug. 14 that his position continues to be that the “presidential system should be changed to allow either two four-year terms or two consecutive four-year terms.”
Under the current Constitution, the president is limited to a single five-year term and cannot seek reelection in Korea.
President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a luncheon meeting with Korean residents in Paris during his state visit to France on Sept. 9.JOINT PRESS CORPS
“The fact that the president's term is clearly limited under the current Constitution is something even a child knows,” PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig wrote on Facebook Thursday. “What we're asking is for him to promise that he won't change it, but he keeps answering a different question.”
“We understand perfectly well by now that, no matter what, he can't bring himself to say, ‘I won't seek another term’ or ‘I will stand trial,’ so stop mocking the public,” Jeong added.
Other PPP lawmakers also joined the criticism.
“All it takes is one sentence: ‘There will be no constitutional amendment allowing me to seek consecutive or multiple terms,’” PPP senior deputy floor spokesperson Choi Eun-seok said in a statement. “What the public wants to know is whether he intends to amend the Constitution to extend his term or open the way for him to run again.”
Rep. Kim Yong-tae of PPP also wrote on Facebook that the essence of the push for a constitutional amendment allowing consecutive terms is “a desperate attempt to shield himself and a political maneuver designed to stave off an early lame-duck period.”
President Lee Jae Myung, center, enters a dinner meeting with the Democratic Party’s (DP) new leadership at the Blue House on Aug. 25. From left are DP leader Kim Min-seok, Lee and DP floor leader Han Byung-do.YONHAP
The DP, by contrast, defended Lee's remarks and pressed the PPP to join discussions on constitutional revision itself rather than making political attacks at Lee.
“The president appears to have simply reaffirmed an obvious principle, but people are interpreting it politically by asking whether he will seek another consecutive term,” Rep. Park Kyoon-taek said on KBS radio Thursday. “I hope the ruling and opposition parties can reach an agreement on issues concerning the system of governance and the structure of power.”
Rep. Kim Young-jin of DP also said on MBC radio that Lee “was essentially saying, albeit indirectly, that seeking another consecutive term is impossible under the Constitution.”
Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communications, offered a similar interpretation on MBC radio on Thursday.
“We understand his remark to mean that the consecutive term being discussed in some quarters is simply impossible and cannot even be considered,” Seong said.
DP leader Kim Min-seok proposed a constitutional amendment in a parliamentary address on Monday, but PPP floor leader Jeong drew a line under the possibility in his parliamentary address on Tuesday.
“There will be no constitutional amendment under this administration,” Jeong said.
Kim Min-seok, however, said later that day that the PPP's opposition “will not be an obstacle,” adding, “We will pursue it with an open mind.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
