Pro-ruling camp aims to pass constitutional amendment by May 11

[Financial News] The broader pro-ruling camp, including the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has announced a goal of passing a constitutional amendment bill by May 11.
After a general assembly of lawmakers on the 20th, Democratic Party floor spokesperson Geumju Moon told reporters, "On the premise of holding a national referendum alongside the June local elections, we must complete the National Assembly’s approval of the constitutional amendment bill by May 11, taking into account the preparation of voter rolls and the schedule for overseas voting," adding, "To achieve this, we need to introduce the amendment bill by April 7."
Earlier, on the 19th, Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-shik and parties other than the People Power Party (PPP) held a joint meeting and agreed to submit a constitutional amendment bill by April 7 to enable a simultaneous referendum with the local elections. They said they would wait until the 30th for the PPP to join, and if it does not, the broader pro-ruling camp will push ahead with the amendment on its own.
So far, the People Power Party (PPP) has maintained its opposition to constitutional revision. However, there are signs that some lawmakers may break ranks. Senior lawmaker Cho Kyoung-tae publicly raised the need for constitutional reform on this day.
For a constitutional amendment to proceed to a national referendum, it must win the support of two-thirds of the 295 sitting lawmakers, or 197 votes. The DPK holds 161 seats, pro-ruling parties have 18, the Reform Party (RP) has 3, and there are 6 independents, giving 188 votes currently in favor. At least nine lawmakers from the PPP would need to switch to support the amendment.
Meanwhile, Speaker Woo and the broader pro-ruling camp have outlined key elements of the amendment, including granting the National Assembly ex post facto approval power over the declaration of martial law, adding the spirit of the Gwangju Democratization Movement and the Busan–Masan Uprising to the preamble of the Constitution, and explicitly stipulating decentralization and balanced regional development.
uknow@fnnews.com Yoonho Kim, Reporter Reporter