Lee Jae-myung's speech: No mention of power decentralization
Published: 11 Feb. 2025, 00:00
In his speech at the National Assembly Monday, Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung pledged to strengthen direct democracy so that the people's sovereign will is reflected in everyday governance. As a first step, he proposed introducing a "National Assembly Member Recall System," which would allow voters to remove legislators failing to fulfill their duties. While a similar system exists for local government heads, there is no reason not to consider such a mechanism for lawmakers, given the persistent conflicts and political gridlock within the National Assembly.
However, the current political landscape in Korea — shaped by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law and the subsequent impeachment proceedings — will not improve simply by introducing a recall system for lawmakers. The crisis has exposed the dangers of excessive power concentration in a single president and the obstructionist tactics of a dominant opposition party. Given this backdrop, it is disappointing that Lee, a likely presidential contender should Yoon's impeachment be upheld, has not presented any proposals for restructuring the political system. Since the DP’s excessive actions — such as successive impeachments and passing of budget bills without negotiations — served as a pretext for martial law, Lee must lay out his vision and road map for constitutional reform regarding power distribution.
Lee also introduced his economic vision, moving beyond a focus on immediate livelihood issues toward an agenda for industrial growth and shared prosperity. He emphasized both economic growth and a "universal basic society," aiming to balance fairness with expansion.
However, his stance on the semiconductor industry's request for exemptions from the 52-hour workweek remained ambiguous. Instead of providing a clear position, he merely stated that "while working hour flexibility in certain sectors may be necessary, it should not lead to an overall extension of total working hours or become a means to evade fair compensation." Given his previous inconsistent positions on key economic policies, it raises concerns that he has now floated proposals such as a four-day workweek and extended retirement age. Rather than using his National Assembly speech as a platform for presidential aspirations by listing long-term visions, Lee should prioritize addressing urgent challenges to demonstrate genuine leadership.
If an early presidential election becomes inevitable, the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly could be the last opportunity to pass key economic bills, such as the Semiconductor Special Act, the three energy-related bills and the revised Tax Restriction Act (K-Chips Act). Additionally, supplementary budgets and pension reforms require urgent bipartisan cooperation. However, these discussions may stall entirely if the political climate shifts into full-fledged election mode. Despite this urgency, even the planned four-party government consultation body has been postponed. Since Lee has proposed a 30 trillion won ($20 million) supplementary budget, both the ruling and opposition parties must set aside impeachment-related tensions and work together to pass pressing legislative measures including supplementary budget.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
However, the current political landscape in Korea — shaped by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law and the subsequent impeachment proceedings — will not improve simply by introducing a recall system for lawmakers. The crisis has exposed the dangers of excessive power concentration in a single president and the obstructionist tactics of a dominant opposition party. Given this backdrop, it is disappointing that Lee, a likely presidential contender should Yoon's impeachment be upheld, has not presented any proposals for restructuring the political system. Since the DP’s excessive actions — such as successive impeachments and passing of budget bills without negotiations — served as a pretext for martial law, Lee must lay out his vision and road map for constitutional reform regarding power distribution.
Lee also introduced his economic vision, moving beyond a focus on immediate livelihood issues toward an agenda for industrial growth and shared prosperity. He emphasized both economic growth and a "universal basic society," aiming to balance fairness with expansion.
However, his stance on the semiconductor industry's request for exemptions from the 52-hour workweek remained ambiguous. Instead of providing a clear position, he merely stated that "while working hour flexibility in certain sectors may be necessary, it should not lead to an overall extension of total working hours or become a means to evade fair compensation." Given his previous inconsistent positions on key economic policies, it raises concerns that he has now floated proposals such as a four-day workweek and extended retirement age. Rather than using his National Assembly speech as a platform for presidential aspirations by listing long-term visions, Lee should prioritize addressing urgent challenges to demonstrate genuine leadership.
If an early presidential election becomes inevitable, the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly could be the last opportunity to pass key economic bills, such as the Semiconductor Special Act, the three energy-related bills and the revised Tax Restriction Act (K-Chips Act). Additionally, supplementary budgets and pension reforms require urgent bipartisan cooperation. However, these discussions may stall entirely if the political climate shifts into full-fledged election mode. Despite this urgency, even the planned four-party government consultation body has been postponed. Since Lee has proposed a 30 trillion won ($20 million) supplementary budget, both the ruling and opposition parties must set aside impeachment-related tensions and work together to pass pressing legislative measures including supplementary budget.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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