Constitutional amendment becomes political hot potato in Korea
- 6 years ago
Amending the constitution is a political hot potato at Korea's National Assembly.
Core aspects include changing the country's power structure,... boosting basic rights and regional autonomy.
For the first of our 3 part series delving deeper into the topic....Kim Min-ji reports.
There has been mounting calls to amend the country's Constitution -- to better reflect social and economic changes since its last revision some three decades ago.
First established in July 1948 -- the Constitution has undergone nine amendments -- usually tweaked in a way to consolidate the power of the commander-in-chief.
The latest revision in 1987,... followed a pro-democracy movement against the military regime of then-President Chun Doo-hwan.
It limited the president's tenure to a single, five year term,... stripped the president's right to dissolve parliament,... abolished media censorship,... and re-established the Constitutional Court -- putting the country on course to becoming a democracy.
"The focal point of the amendment now is how to change the government structure... to better run the country and amending the charter so that it is in line with the changes in our society."
The matter came under the spotlight again following the massive corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye -- which raised questions about the current power structure.
A recent poll showed more than seven in ten Koreans are in favor of an amendment,... far outpacing those that think there's no need for one.
In fact, pushing for a referendum in tandem with local elections in June was a common campaign pledge among key presidential candidates during the snap elections last year.
At the core of the amendment is the government structure -- with some stressing the need to restrict the president's power... saying it leads to corruption.
Others argue that a longer tenure is needed as five years is not enough to pursue long-term goals or implement diplomatic policies.
Alternatives on the table include a four-year, two term presidency,... or a semi-presidential system where the president and prime minister share the power.
"Simply put, it's either extending the current tenure to eight years by allowing a president to run again,... or by choosing to decentralize -- by sharing the role with a prime minister handpicked by the parliament. Whichever system, what's important is how the power is divided. The president should be in charge of diplomatic and security affairs,... while the prime minister deals with internal affairs -- such as managing the government complexes that have moved to the administrative capital of Sejong."
The revision also calls for boosting regional autonomy so that municipalities can co-prosper with the capital area,... as well as shoring up people's fundamentals rights -- boosting rights to safety, healthcare and information,... and offering better protection for the socially vulnerable.
The due process for
Core aspects include changing the country's power structure,... boosting basic rights and regional autonomy.
For the first of our 3 part series delving deeper into the topic....Kim Min-ji reports.
There has been mounting calls to amend the country's Constitution -- to better reflect social and economic changes since its last revision some three decades ago.
First established in July 1948 -- the Constitution has undergone nine amendments -- usually tweaked in a way to consolidate the power of the commander-in-chief.
The latest revision in 1987,... followed a pro-democracy movement against the military regime of then-President Chun Doo-hwan.
It limited the president's tenure to a single, five year term,... stripped the president's right to dissolve parliament,... abolished media censorship,... and re-established the Constitutional Court -- putting the country on course to becoming a democracy.
"The focal point of the amendment now is how to change the government structure... to better run the country and amending the charter so that it is in line with the changes in our society."
The matter came under the spotlight again following the massive corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye -- which raised questions about the current power structure.
A recent poll showed more than seven in ten Koreans are in favor of an amendment,... far outpacing those that think there's no need for one.
In fact, pushing for a referendum in tandem with local elections in June was a common campaign pledge among key presidential candidates during the snap elections last year.
At the core of the amendment is the government structure -- with some stressing the need to restrict the president's power... saying it leads to corruption.
Others argue that a longer tenure is needed as five years is not enough to pursue long-term goals or implement diplomatic policies.
Alternatives on the table include a four-year, two term presidency,... or a semi-presidential system where the president and prime minister share the power.
"Simply put, it's either extending the current tenure to eight years by allowing a president to run again,... or by choosing to decentralize -- by sharing the role with a prime minister handpicked by the parliament. Whichever system, what's important is how the power is divided. The president should be in charge of diplomatic and security affairs,... while the prime minister deals with internal affairs -- such as managing the government complexes that have moved to the administrative capital of Sejong."
The revision also calls for boosting regional autonomy so that municipalities can co-prosper with the capital area,... as well as shoring up people's fundamentals rights -- boosting rights to safety, healthcare and information,... and offering better protection for the socially vulnerable.
The due process for