Association of Former National Assembly Members Discusses Constitutional Amendment with Civic Groups and Academia... "Agreement Between Ruling and Opposition Parties is Important"

The Association of Former National Assembly Members [Photo by Lee Choong-won]

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Jung-jin, Oh Gyu-jin = The Association of Former National Assembly Members, an organization of former lawmakers, discussed the direction of constitutional amendment with representatives from civic organizations and academic societies at its office in Yeouido on the 24th.

Representatives from about 10 organizations, including the National Action for Constitutional Amendment, the National Conference for Local Autonomy, the Council of Governors of Provinces of Korea, the Korean Political Science Association, and the Korean Constitutional Law Association, attended the meeting.

They agreed on the necessity of constitutional amendment to reorganize the power structure and shared opinions on measures to expedite the amendment process.

Lee Sang-soo, Standing Co-Representative of the National Action for Constitutional Amendment, said, "Ultimately, the people must take the lead in constitutional amendment," and added, "Civic organizations will also strive to build consensus."

Kim Bum-soo, President of the Korean Political Science Association, stated, "This is a time when the possibility of constitutional amendment is significantly high," and emphasized the importance of agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, saying, "If the ruling coalition secures over 200 seats, they can push it through, but constitutional amendment is not just a numbers game."

Bae Gwi-hee, former president of the Korean Association for Local Government Studies, argued for strengthening the separation of powers, stating, "We need a proposal that strengthens the authority of the National Assembly and constitutionally guarantees the judiciary so it remains stable."

The necessity of a 'Constitutional Amendment Procedure Act,' which would legally define the timing and procedures for constitutional amendment, was also raised.

Shin Yong-in, External Cooperation Committee Member of the National-Led Mutual Growth Constitutional Amendment Action, proposed, "We need to establish a Constitutional Amendment Procedure Act to discuss it institutionally and systematically," and added, "If a procedure act is created, the discussions are likely to proceed continuously and step-by-step."

stopn@yna.co.kr

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