The speaker of the South Korean parliament proposed changes to the country's constitution today that would limit the powers of the president, citing public support for such an amendment after former President Yun Suk-yeol was removed from office for declaring martial law, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
“I want to propose to the people a quick revision of the constitution“, Woo Won-shik said at a press conference. "After going through the unconstitutional and illegal martial law and Yun's impeachment, public consensus on the urgent need to revise the constitution is greater than ever," he added.
Woo Won-shik proposed holding a national referendum on constitutional amendments along with the presidential election, which is due to be held within two months after the Constitutional Court upheld Yun's removal on Friday.
The court upheld the impeachment of Yun by parliament after he briefly declared martial law on Dec. 3, triggering South Korea's worst political crisis in decades.
"The Constitutional Court's ruling ended the national turmoil, but the potential for a destructive conflict over presidential power still exists," Woo said, adding that many South Koreans want a change to the "imperial presidency“.
A public opinion poll conducted last month by the “Gallup Korea“ agency found that 54 percent of respondents supported constitutional changes affecting the presidential system of government, while 30 percent of respondents said it was not necessary.