South Korea's Lee Backs Four-Year Presidency With Re-Election Option

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has expressed support for a constitutional amendment that would replace the current single five-year presidential term with a four-year term that permits re-election, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Citing a senior official at the presidential Blue House, Yonhap reported that Lee believes this model enjoys the broadest public acceptance. The president is said to share concerns about the excessive concentration of power in the executive, a system critics have labelled the "imperial presidency."

The official emphasised that any constitutional change must be discussed and pursued within the National Assembly. Amendments require the backing of at least 200 lawmakers and should be built on political consensus, the official added.

South Korea's presidency has been limited to a single five-year term since the country's transition to democracy. The proposed reform would also aim to strengthen the powers of parliament, creating a more balanced distribution of authority between the executive and legislative branches.