Han Byung-do welcomes 'people's sovereignty' constitutional reform proposal, urges PPP to join

Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said Friday he "strongly agrees with and welcomes" National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik's proposal for "people's sovereignty" constitutional reform, and expressed hope that the People Power Party would "join in with a forward-looking stance."

Han wrote on his Facebook page that "constitutional reform discussions that carry forward the achievements of the 1987 system while opening a new future for the Republic of Korea are a task of the times that can no longer be delayed."

He added that "a special committee on constitutional reform must be established in the National Assembly without delay," and said: "Constitutional reform cannot be completed through political circles alone. The process of citizens participating, deliberating, debating and building consensus must also be guaranteed."

Addressing the People Power Party, Han said "constitutional reform is not about the interests of any particular party — it is about laying the foundation for the next hundred years of the Republic of Korea," and urged the party to "show the responsible posture of a public party, at least this time."

Speaker Cho had earlier told the ceremony marking the 78th Constitution Day that the Assembly should "draw up a people's sovereignty constitutional amendment in 2027 and complete the 10th amendment within this 22nd Assembly."

"The current 1987 Constitution has sustained our national system and society for nearly 40 years," Cho said. "Over the course of a generation, the scale of our society and citizens' awareness of their rights have matured beyond comparison."

He went on to say that the Assembly must "not abandon the responsibilities entrusted to it by the sovereign people," adding: "It is time to shed the clothes of the past and put on new ones that prepare us for the future."

Cho pledged to "swiftly launch a constitutional reform body and gather wisdom through full-scale public deliberation next year," and promised to "establish a Constitutional Amendment Advisory Committee directly under the speaker to organize a reform roadmap and agenda."

He identified four priorities for the amendment: enshrining the spirit of the May 18 pro-democracy movement in the constitutional preamble, restricting the president's power to declare martial law, restructuring the power structure, and reforming election administration.

Cho added that he would "ensure that areas agreed upon by the ruling and opposition parties, the government and the people proceed to a national referendum," and vowed to build a digital public participation platform called "Everyone's Constitution" to create "a forum for collective wisdom where citizens can propose and debate directly, completing the 'people's sovereignty' constitutional reform."