'Constitution bars applying changes to sitting president,' nominee says
Cites Korea's history with dictatorship as reason for the provision
Declines to comment on dropping of charges against President Lee
Lee So-young, nominee for minister of SMEs and Startups, said Tuesday she does not understand why a constitutional reform to allow presidential re-election has become politically controversial — adding that even if such a change were adopted, it could not apply to the sitting president.
Lee made the remarks at her confirmation hearing before the National Assembly in response to a question from People Power Party lawmaker Jo Ji-yeon asking her position on constitutional reform to allow presidential re-election.
"Article 128 of the Constitution states that any amendment to presidential term provisions does not apply to the incumbent president," she said. "I believe that provision is not merely a constitutional rule — it reflects Korea's modern history and its experience with dictatorship."
Article 128 of the Constitution explicitly states that any constitutional amendment to extend or change the presidential term has no effect on the president in office at the time the amendment is proposed.
When Jo asked her position on the dropping of charges against President Lee Jae-myung, Lee declined to answer directly. "That question asks for my position on a specific case, and I do not think it is appropriate for a nominee for public office to respond," she said.
The issue has been in the spotlight since National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik — a former political adviser to President Lee — said in July that allowing the incumbent president to seek re-election through constitutional reform was a matter for the people to decide. President Lee said Wednesday that "my term is clearly limited under the Constitution."
th5@heraldcorp.com
