On September 16, 2025, South Korea’s political landscape shifted dramatically as President Lee Jae Myung’s Cabinet confirmed a sweeping constitutional amendment proposal, signaling the most significant changes to the nation’s governance since 1987. The proposal, which tops the administration’s ambitious 123-item policy agenda, would allow presidents to serve two four-year terms, replacing the current single five-year term limit that has defined South Korean democracy for nearly four decades. The move, if enacted, could reshape not only the presidency but also the balance of power across the government, with wide-reaching implications for the country’s political future.
According to The Korea Herald, the Cabinet’s blueprint doesn’t just stop at presidential term limits. It introduces a two-round system for presidential elections, a marked departure from the current single-round model. Under the new system, the presidency would go to the candidate who receives the most votes in a runoff between the top two contenders from the first round. This change, supporters argue, could encourage broader consensus and legitimacy for future presidents, while critics warn it may complicate already heated election cycles.
Since 1987, South Korea has operated under a system where presidents are limited to a single five-year term. The rationale behind this was rooted in the country’s turbulent history with authoritarian rule, aiming to prevent any one individual from consolidating too much power. With the new proposal, an incumbent president would be eligible to run for reelection immediately after their first term, potentially allowing for greater policy continuity—or, as some opposition voices suggest, opening the door to extended rule by a single party or leader.
Yet, there’s a constitutional catch. Article 128 of the current Constitution states that amendments extending the presidential term cannot be applied to the sitting president. However, since the amendment process itself could revise or remove this article, the main opposition People Power Party has raised concerns that the proposal might pave the way for President Lee or his political allies to extend their hold on power. The administration, for its part, has not clarified whether Lee himself would be eligible to benefit from the new rules, adding a layer of political intrigue to an already contentious debate.
The process for passing a constitutional amendment in South Korea is anything but simple. As outlined by The Korea Herald, the proposal must first win the backing of two-thirds of the National Assembly—a high bar, even with the liberal Democratic Party of Korea’s current majority. Then, it must be approved in a national referendum, requiring more than 50 percent support among voters, with at least half of eligible voters participating. Officials have floated the possibility of holding the referendum alongside either the 2026 local elections or the 2028 legislative election, a move that could boost turnout but also intensify political tensions.
Lee’s current presidential term is set to end in 2030 under the existing Constitution. South Korea has not amended its Constitution since 1987, making this proposal a historic undertaking. Alongside the changes to the presidency, the amendment would also curtail some presidential powers, notably reducing the president’s ability to veto bills passed by the legislature. The National Assembly would gain new authority to recommend candidates for prime minister and to approve appointees to positions that require political neutrality, further shifting the balance of power away from the executive branch.
At the Cabinet meeting, which was notably held in Sejong—the de facto administrative capital located about 120 kilometers south of Seoul—President Lee presided over the proceedings for the first time in this location. The meeting wasn’t just about constitutional reform. The Cabinet also confirmed blueprints for transferring wartime operational control of South Korea’s military, advancing economic cooperation and reconciliation with North Korea, and strengthening diplomatic ties with major powers like the United States, Japan, China, and Russia before Lee’s term ends.
One of the most symbolic elements of the constitutional proposal is the official designation of Sejong as the administrative capital. The plan also calls for the establishment of a new body to ensure greater local autonomy and foster regional growth. President Lee emphasized the necessity of balanced national development, introducing the concept of a "quintpolar system"—a strategy that aims to drive growth through metropolitan areas surrounding five key regions, rather than concentrating resources in the Greater Seoul area, which includes the capital, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province.
"This strategy was indeed quite efficient, but (the strategy) is now reaching its limits," Lee stated during the meeting, as reported by The Korea Herald. He continued, "For the sustainable growth and development of South Korea, balanced national development is no longer a choice but a destiny." Lee described the policy blueprint as a "compass to change the lives of the people," signaling his administration’s commitment to tackling regional disparities that have long fueled political and economic tensions.
Meanwhile, the country’s focus on governance reform comes amid other pressing domestic issues. On the same day as the Cabinet’s historic meeting, prosecutors in Seoul demanded a 20-year prison sentence for a 67-year-old man, surnamed Won, accused of setting fire to a subway train on May 31, 2025. The arson attack, which occurred in the Yeouinaru Station-Mapo Station section of Subway Line 5, involved the suspect pouring gasoline on the floor of a moving train and setting it alight, allegedly attempting to kill 160 passengers, including himself. Six passengers were injured, 23 were transferred to hospitals due to smoke inhalation, and 129 received on-site treatment. Prosecutors characterized the act as "an act of killing comparable to terror," citing the suspect’s grievances over the outcome of his divorce lawsuit as the motive. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 14, 2025. In his final statement, Won simply said, "I regret it."
Elsewhere, the government’s efforts to foster social integration took another step as South Korea’s unification ministry revealed on September 15, 2025, that it is reviewing whether to abandon the term "North Korean defector"—a label many say carries negative Cold War-era connotations. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young announced that the ministry is researching alternatives to the term for both legal and everyday use, aiming to reduce stigma and promote better integration of North Koreans who have resettled in the South, according to NK News.
As South Korea stands on the cusp of major constitutional and societal changes, the coming months will test the country’s ability to balance tradition and innovation, unity and diversity. With debates swirling over presidential powers, regional development, and even the words used to describe newcomers, the nation’s future direction remains very much in the hands of its people—and their willingness to embrace change.
