Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon [Yonhap]
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon [Yonhap]

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon on Wednesday criticized National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik's remarks on constitutional reform to allow presidential term extensions, saying President Lee Jae Myung is "trying to become a dictator."

Han made the remarks in a Facebook post, describing the speaker — a former political adviser to President Lee and his handpicked choice for the role — as someone who had "floated the idea."

"I have long said we must not join any constitutional reform discussion being pushed by the Democratic Party while holding hands with Lee Jae Myung's Democratic Party — a party tainted by attempts at term extension and the dropping of criminal charges," Han wrote. "This administration may end sooner than expected."

Han made similar remarks Tuesday, describing the Lee administration as "preparing Plan B — a constitutional amendment to allow Lee Jae Myung's reelection — in anticipation of Plan A, dropping Lee's criminal charges, becoming untenable." He called it "a path toward dictatorship that can never be tolerated."

He added that the administration was "focused solely on saving Lee Jae Myung, regardless of whether the judicial system collapses, the stock market is destroyed, or the real estate market crumbles," and called for rebuilding the conservative bloc to win the next general election and retake power.

Earlier, Speaker Cho, at a press briefing at the National Assembly, was asked whether the opposition was against extending the incumbent president's term through constitutional reform. He said questions surrounding a sitting president's eligibility for reelection under any restructuring of the power system were "ultimately a matter of public opinion and the choice of the sovereign — the people."


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