Lee Nak-yeon "Current Constitution Setting Presidential Candidacy Eligibility at Age 40 and Above Must Be Changed"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Lee Nak-yeon, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and a presidential candidate, argued on the 4th that the current constitution, which sets the presidential candidacy age at 40 or older, should be changed. Amid recent calls for constitutional reform in the political sphere, this statement is attracting attention as it is interpreted as a serious move to open the door to constitutional amendment by a leading presidential candidate.

On the same day, Lee posted on Facebook an article titled "The Age Limit for Presidential Candidacy Should Be Lowered," stating, "To understand the youth and reflect their demands, we must give them opportunities and power."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee explained, "According to Article 67 of the Constitution, only citizens aged 40 or older can become presidential candidates. This provision was first introduced during the 5th constitutional amendment led by the military regime in 1962," adding, "At that time, the military regime used age as a weapon to deprive young people of the opportunity to run for president, but nearly 60 years have passed since then."

He continued, "Even now, the presidential election in South Korea prohibits candidacy from the 2030 youth generation," and remarked, "If the older generation excludes the youth and monopolizes the presidency and politics, it is no different from the tyranny of past dictatorships. Claiming to have 'politics for the youth' while doing so is hypocrisy."

Lee emphasized, "We must provide a political ladder for the youth," and stated, "The current constitution, which sets the presidential candidacy age at 40 or older, must be changed. The presidential election, which competes over the nation's future vision, cannot be the exclusive domain of the older generation."

He also noted, "The constitutional amendment proposed by President Moon Jae-in in 2018 deleted this provision," adding, "Last month, I spoke about a constitutional amendment to strengthen the basic rights of the people. When that amendment is discussed, this issue can also be reviewed together."

He further argued that the age eligibility for members of the National Assembly, local government heads, and local council members, currently set at 25, should also be lowered.

Lee said, "Just as the voting age has been lowered, I hope the eligibility age for candidacy will also be lowered," and added, "I will overhaul laws and systems that block young people’s right to run in elections."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.