A second attempt by the ruling Democratic Party to pass a constitutional amendment bill collapsed on Friday after the opposition People Power Party again blocked proceedings in the National Assembly.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik opened the plenary session but declined to call a vote after the People Power Party threatened a filibuster. He said he had tried to prevent the first constitutional amendment vote in 39 years from failing.
The proposed changes would require immediate parliamentary approval for any martial law declaration and automatically end it if lawmakers reject it within 48 hours. The bill also sought to add references to the 1980 Gwangju uprising and 1979 Busan-Masan protests in the preamble.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung expressed regret on behalf of Cheong Wa Dae, stating that the public would struggle to understand the opposition to measures protecting national security and democracy following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's December 2024 martial law attempt. President Lee Jae Myung has said any revisions could proceed in phases.
The bill was backed by 187 lawmakers from the Democratic Party and smaller parties. A two-thirds majority is required before a national referendum.
