Opposition's Kim Tae-ho says Lee must renounce reelection to open constitutional reform talks

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-ho said Sunday that if President Lee Jae Myung clearly declares he will not seek reelection, the opposition should actively engage in constitutional reform discussions.

Writing on Facebook that day, Kim said, "If President Lee first shows his resolve not to seek reelection, I believe the ruling and opposition parties can begin constitutional reform talks in earnest."

Kim had previously said that when he proposed a power-decentralization constitutional reform during a golf meeting with President Lee in early July, Lee indicated he believed the constitution should be amended even if it meant shortening his own term. Lee reaffirmed that position on Friday on X, formerly Twitter, writing that his official stance during the 2022 presidential election — that the presidential term should be changed to a four-year renewable system to allow accountability through midterm evaluation, and that he could accept a term reduction if necessary for constitutional reform — remained unchanged.

"One round of golf with the president cannot change politics. But it can be an opportunity to open the door to dialogue," Kim said. "Politics must cooperate where cooperation is needed and check power firmly where it must be checked. If there is a path that moves Korean politics even one step forward, if it is politics for the people, I will talk with anyone."

He also argued for restructuring power away from concentration in a single person. "We must now move beyond the 1987 system, in which power is concentrated in one person. Both the ruling and opposition parties have spent five years in a fight to the finish trying to produce their own imperial president, and in the process, politics for the people and their livelihoods has disappeared," he said.

Kim added that for a sitting president to pursue constitutional reform, "clearly declaring that 'I will gain no benefit in terms of my term from this reform' can be the starting point for demonstrating sincerity about the effort."