President Lee: “Term is constitutionally limited” amid controversy over reelection constitutional amendment

President Lee Jaemyung said that his term is clearly limited under the Constitution in relation to the controversy over a constitutional amendment for a consecutive term. This is the first time he has publicly stated his position on the matter directly. At a meeting with Koreans in Paris, France, on the 9th, President Lee mentioned the need for summit diplomacy and explained why he has been hurrying overseas visits and diplomatic schedules early in his term. His remarks are interpreted as an indirect response to the recent suspicions raised in political circles about a constitutional amendment for a consecutive term. The controversy over a constitutional amendment for a consecutive term resurfaced after National Assembly Speaker Chung Syekyun said in July that the issue of a sitting president serving consecutive terms was a matter of public opinion and public choice. The People Power Party has criticized Lee, saying he may be trying to seek a consecutive term through a constitutional amendment, and this controversy is also tied to the recent drop in his approval ratings. In his remarks that day, Lee also conveyed a message urging caution against political division and excessive internal conflict.