President Lee Jae Myung has put constitutional reform back on the political agenda, again backing a four-year presidential term with the possibility of re-election. The simple version is easy to grasp: replace South Korea’s current single five-year term with a system in which voters can either renew a president’s mandate or end it after four years.
Four years and a second verdict from voters
The current system dates from the democratic reforms of 1987 and deliberately prevents immediate re-election. A renewable four-year term changes those incentives, but changing only the term length could also strengthen an already powerful presidency.
The wider package is about power
The administration’s broader reform agenda also includes
- a runoff system for presidential elections;
- stronger National Assembly checks on martial-law and emergency powers;
- limits on presidential veto power;
- changes to appointments for politically neutral institutions;
- expanded constitutional rights and stronger local autonomy.
Lee’s preferred package therefore goes beyond the calendar. It would give parliament a larger role in appointments and strengthen legislative checks on emergency powers, alongside other changes including runoff voting, veto limits and stronger local autonomy.
The difficult part starts now
None of this is the president’s decision alone. A constitutional amendment needs a supermajority in the National Assembly and approval in a national referendum. The meaningful signal now is whether the major parties can agree on a specific replacement for the 1987 system.