Cheong Wa Dae dismisses presidential term extension talk as unconstitutional, impossible

Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday that extending the presidential term or amending the constitution to allow consecutive terms "is not permitted under the constitutional framework, will not be tolerated by the people, and is practically impossible."

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik made the remarks to reporters at the Chunchugwan briefing room, saying Cheong Wa Dae "has no time for unnecessary and inappropriate discussions."

Kang also cited Article 128, Paragraph 2 of the constitution — the provision governing presidential term limits — and said, "We must not waver on this going forward."

Article 128, Paragraph 2 stipulates that any constitutional amendment to extend or change the presidential term shall not take effect for the president in office at the time the amendment is proposed.

Kang said he was not rejecting constitutional reform discussions altogether. "The point is not that all constitutional amendments are off the table," he said, citing proposals such as enshrining the spirit of the May 18 pro-democracy uprising in the constitutional preamble and addressing pending issues related to the National Election Commission.

On the specific question of extending the presidential term or introducing a consecutive-term system, however, Kang said, "The Assembly speaker has confirmed this, and the president has also said it is not possible," adding that he wanted to express "strong regret over attempts to drag the president into political controversy."

He then said Cheong Wa Dae was "busy focusing on delivering results during the president's overseas trip," adding that "real estate, share prices and the livelihood economy are what matter, and Cheong Wa Dae cannot spend time on inappropriate discussions."

Kang said, "We must focus on reviving people's livelihoods and advancing the Republic of Korea, and the president shares that view."

Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik, whose earlier remarks had sparked the reelection controversy, posted on Facebook in the early hours of Wednesday. He cited Article 128, Paragraph 2 of the constitution — which states that a constitutional amendment to extend or change the presidential term does not apply to the sitting president at the time of the amendment — and said, "Article 128, Paragraph 2 must be respected, and the reelection of the incumbent president is not a subject of any future constitutional reform discussions."

Jo said his comments at a press briefing "were intended to outline the basic procedural requirements — namely that constitutional reform, including changes to the power structure, can only happen through agreement among political actors and the choice of the people." He expressed regret that his remarks "caused misunderstanding and controversy contrary to my intentions."