May 10 Vote on Constitutional Amendment.. People Power Party Proposes Post-Local Election Agreement

[Financial News] The six parliamentary parties, excluding the People Power Party, plan to hold a vote on the constitutional amendment at the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 10th of next month. In response, the People Power Party said it opposes a rushed constitutional revision and proposed forming the National Assembly Special Committee on Constitutional Revision in the second half of the 22nd National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, after the June local elections, to continue discussions.
Song Eon-seok, parliamentary leader of the People Power Party, held a floor leadership strategy meeting on the 28th and said of the party line against the constitutional amendment, "It is a decision made by gathering the full consensus of all lawmakers in the party. I regret Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-shik's remarks, which distort this as if the party line is forcing individuals to abandon their conscience and convictions." He added, "We are not opposing the content of the amendment, but a rushed revision for election purposes."
At a press conference the previous day, Speaker Woo argued that some People Power Party lawmakers support the amendment but are reluctant to vote because of the party line against it. He also pressed the party, saying that the strengthened National Assembly check on a president's Declaration of martial law included in the amendment may be opposed by "Yoon Again" supporters, implying that this is why the People Power Party is against it.
Song described the plan to begin constitutional revision with a referendum held alongside the June local elections and then advance it step by step as a "patchwork amendment" and "populism." He said, "The Constitution is a single system organically structured from the preamble to the main text and supplementary provisions, so when revising it, we should proceed carefully after comprehensive discussion." He added, "It must be a people's amendment led not by those in power, but by the National Assembly, academia, and civil society together. It should be pursued through bipartisan agreement, not as an opposition-isolation campaign pushed through by ruling bloc parties."
He then proposed forming a special committee on constitutional revision in the latter half of the 22nd National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, after the local elections, so that the ruling and opposition parties can work together to prepare a full revision proposal. Song said, "Let us calmly discuss a comprehensive amendment that includes everything from the preamble to a restructuring of the power system."
The six parliamentary parties pushing for constitutional revision, including the Democratic Party of Korea, plan to first attempt a vote on the amendment on the 10th of next month. Since it cannot pass the National Assembly without the People Power Party's cooperation, they intend to persuade the party by May 10. Passage requires approval from two-thirds of all sitting lawmakers. Taking into account the resignation of nine lawmakers to run in the metropolitan and provincial elections, the number of sitting lawmakers will be 286, meaning 191 votes are needed for the amendment to pass.
Baek Seung-a, the Democratic Party of Korea's parliamentary spokesperson, told reporters after the floor leadership strategy meeting that day, "We plan to handle the constitutional amendment on May 10." She added that ways to secure the People Power Party's cooperation will be discussed at the Joint Conference on Constitutional Reform chaired by Speaker Woo later that day.

uknow@fnnews.com Kim Yoon-ho, Lee Hae-ram Reporter