The chief of South Korea’s ruling party apologized to President Park Geun-hye Friday after his remarks on a possible constitutional revision were seen as challenging the president’s authority.
On Thursday, Kim Moo-sung, chairman of the Saenuri Party, said he expects an “outpouring” of political debate on a possible revision of the Constitution when the ongoing regular session of the National Assembly ends in December.
His remarks raised a political storm as they came only days after Park expressed clear opposition to the idea of a constitutional debate at a time when the parliament should focus on reviving the slumping economy.
Constitutional revision is a sensitive issue that could change the power structure in South Korea where power is concentrated heavily in the president.
“It was my mistake,” Kim said during a party meeting. “I believe it wasn’t proper when the president is attending the ASEM meeting in Italy, and offer my apologies.”
Kim made the controversial remarks during a meeting with reporters in Shanghai as Park was attending a biennial summit of Asian and European leaders, called the Asia-Europe Meeting, in Milan, Italy.
In Shanghai, he hinted that the president could give some power to the prime minister, which is a largely ceremonial position, citing the Austrian system of government in which a popularly elected president, as the head of state, is in charge of diplomacy, national defense and other external policies, while the prime minister handles domestic affairs and is responsible to the legislature.
On Friday, however, Kim claimed that his remarks were exaggerated by the press as he had stressed that a constitutional debate should not begin before the end of the parliamentary session and expressed concern that there would be an “outpouring” of such talk after the session.
South Korea introduced the single-term presidency in 1987 after decades of autocratic rule by military-backed presidents. The system was primarily aimed at keeping the president from attempting to hold on to power through illicit means.
Kim, 63, a five-term lawmaker, is considered one of Saenuri’s leading presidential aspirants in the next election scheduled for 2017. Park’s single five-year term ends in early 2018, and by law, she cannot seek re-election.
“I hope there is no constitutional debate of any kind within our party before the end of the parliamentary session,” Kim said.
The main opposition party New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) claimed Kim’s apology goes to show that the current power structure needs to be fixed.
“The ruling party’s chief brought up the issue of a constitutional revision and is now making sure he doesn’t upset Cheong Wa Dae,” Rep. Woo Yoon-keun, the NPAD floor leader, said during a party meeting, referring to the South Korean presidential office.
Speaking to Yonhap earlier in the day, NPAD chief Moon Hee-sang called for creating a parliamentary task force within the year to handle discussions of a possible constitutional revision, saying he agrees with Kim’s reported remarks. (Yonhap)
