People Power Party Representative Jang Dong-hyeok holds a press conference at the National Assembly on the 28th to express his stance regarding National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik's remarks on a constitutional amendment for presidential term extension. [Yonhap News] 

On the 28th, the conservative opposition launched an all-out offensive against National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik, labeling his remarks that issues like "presidential term extensions are ultimately a matter for the sovereign people to decide" during constitutional reform discussions as "a true act of insurrection" and "a destruction of constitutional order equivalent to an illegal martial law."

According to Yonhap News on the 28th, People Power Party Representative Jang Dong-hyeok posted a statement on social media and separately addressed the issue at the National Assembly. He noted that Speaker Cho is a former special political advisor to President Lee Jae-myung, and criticized him by stating, "If President Lee truly pushes for a constitutional amendment to extend his term, defying the will of the people and the spirit of the current Constitution, that would constitute a true act of insurrection."

He continued, "During the one year of the Lee Jae-myung administration, all of South Korea's systems—including the abolition of supplementary investigative powers, real estate policies, and 'Democratic collateral'—have been ruined," adding, "People are already saying that even four years is too long; how much more suffering do they intend to inflict on the public by discussing a term extension for Lee Jae-myung?"

Floor Leader of the same party, Jeong Jeom-sik, wrote on Facebook, "Today, the KOSPI collapsed below 2,600 points during the session, and the KOSDAQ fell below 700. How can they even mention term extensions when they have turned the stock market into a chaotic gambling den?" He urged, "The People Power Party will not participate in any constitutional amendment discussions that include President Lee's plans for a term extension. I hope President Lee himself declares that there will be no term extension."

New Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok used a quote from the novel 'Chunhyangjeon,' in which the undercover inspector Yi Mong-ryong writes a poem during the corrupt magistrate Byeon Hak-do's birthday party: 'Ga-seong-go-cheo Won-seong-go (Where the singing is loudest, the cries of resentment are also highest).' He sarcastically remarked, "On a day when the stock market is in a panic, they are discussing a presidential term extension. Are they discussing a term extension for Byeon Hak-do?"

Earlier, when asked at a press conference at the National Assembly that morning about the opposition's stance against a constitutional amendment to extend the incumbent president's term, Speaker Cho replied, "Isn't it premature to discuss such matters right now?" but added, "The issue of a term extension for an incumbent president in the context of power structure reform is ultimately a matter of public opinion and the people's choice as sovereign."

As controversy spread, the Office of the National Assembly Speaker clarified that afternoon, stating, "Speaker Cho’s response was simply expressing a principled position that such discussions must be based on public consensus and political agreement."

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik answering questions from the press [Seoul=Yonhap News]