The National Assembly on Thursday officially kicked off discussion on rewriting the Constitution, 30 years after its last major revision in 1987, amid rising calls to change the way the nation is governed. 

A special committee, consisting of 36 lawmakers from ruling and oppositions parties, held an inaugural meeting Thursday morning, vowing to heed the public call for political reform, following President Park Geun-hye’s scandal and ensuing impeachment. 

At the top of their agenda is the current single-term five-year presidency, viewed by many as the root cause of the failures of many South Korean presidents -- including Park -- as it allows them excessive power. 

“The Constitution was revised in 1987, reflecting citizen’s aspirations for democracy, and it has played a key role in promoting basic rights and overthrowing the authoritarianism,” Rep. Lee Joo-young of the ruling Saenuri Party, the committee’s chief, said at the meeting. “However, there is now the need for amendment, as society has changed rapidly over 30 years.”

Though several attempts at amendments were made after the ninth revision, there had been a failure to reach consensus among political parties. The committee plans to hold a public hearing on Jan. 19 at the National Assembly to gather opinions from the public.  

Although many agree the Constitution needs amendments, lawmakers are divided over the details. The ruling conservative party supports quickly revising some clauses pertaining to key political systems, including the nation’s presidential election system, while opposition parties demand for a more fundamental overhaul. 

“It will not be easy to reach a conclusion if we decide to review the whole Constitution. We should concentrate on the political structure and carry out the upcoming election under a new Constitution,” Rep. Ahn Sang-soo of the ruling Saenuri Party said.

Rep. Lee In-young from the liberal Democratic Party of Korea opposed this suggestion, saying the committee should seek for a comprehensive amendment of the Constitution to check agendas such as basic rights and the economy. 

The bipartisan committee members also had differing opinions on whether it should take place before or after this year’s presidential election as well. The upcoming presidential race is expected to be held earlier than the original schedule of December due to the impeachment of President Park. If the Constitutional Court finalizes her impeachment, the nation has to select a new leader within two months.  

Among those supporting a later Constitutional revision is a strong presidential candidate from the main opposition Democratic Party -- Moon Jae-in, who came up with a road map Wednesday to rewrite the Constitution in 2018, after the president is elected. 

Moon came under fire after a report containing plans to stop the amendment spread Tuesday. The policy paper published by the Institute for Democracy, the party’s in-house think tank, said the party should stop the formation of a coalition with other opposition parties, as this might threaten the presidential candidacy of Moon, hinting at its support toward him. 

Moon, who currently tops presidential polls denied the connections, while other parties strongly condemned him for seemingly plotting an unfair primary.
 
By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)