Handonghun's First Public Appearance in 76 Days... "Lee Jaemyung Tries to Protect Himself Over the Constitution"

Attends Play Based on the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong
Emphasizes Need for Constitutional Amendment and Election Commission Audit

On the 2nd, Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the People Power Party, sharply criticized Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who has shown a reserved stance on constitutional amendment discussions, saying, "He wants to avoid criminal charges for five years, and he is not trying to uphold the constitution but to protect himself."

Yonhap News

After watching the play "The Sea Does Not Get Wet from the Rain," which is based on the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, at a theater in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Han made these remarks to reporters.

He said, "Everyone recognizes that the 1987 system needs to be changed," emphasizing, "The public should not have to endure Lee's 29 impeachment attempts and the president's attempt to declare martial law again." He added, "Now is the time to carry out constitutional amendment, as everyone agrees on its necessity," and stressed, "To achieve this, those entrusted with important duties must have an attitude willing to make sacrifices."

Earlier, in a media interview, Han stated that if he becomes president, he would push for a constitutional amendment to establish a 'four-year renewable term' system and step down in 2028, three years later. He also expressed the need to introduce a bicameral legislature with both upper and lower houses.

He also mentioned the necessity of constitutional amendment related to the National Election Commission. Han said, "While emphasizing the independence of the Election Commission, we should adopt a measure through constitutional amendment to extend the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit scope to include the Election Commission." This is a rebuttal to the Constitutional Court's earlier conclusion that the Election Commission is not subject to the Board of Audit and Inspection's duties.

Regarding the Democratic Party and Lee's criticism of the emergency martial law declaration on December 3 and their emphasis on the need for regime change, Han said, "My position that the martial law declaration was extremely wrong remains unchanged," but also pointed out, "The outrage where Lee and the Democratic Party ignored and trampled on the constitution must also be severely criticized. Does Lee have the right to say such things?"

Han made a public appearance for the first time in 76 days since stepping down as the People Power Party leader on December 16 last year. Members of the People Power Party, including Bae Hyun-jin, Go Dong-jin, Park Jung-hoon, Woo Jae-jun, Jung Sung-guk, and Han Ji-a, attended the play with him.

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