×

South Korea’s Lee favours four-year presidency with re-election permitted, Yonhap says

By Thomson Reuters Aug 13, 2026 | 10:38 PM

SEOUL, Aug 14 (Reuters) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung favours a ​constitutional reform that ‌would allow presidents to serve a four-year term and seek re-election while strengthening ‌parliamentary ​powers, the Yonhap ⁠news agency reported ⁠on Friday, citing a presidential Blue House official.

The official said the model ​had the broadest public acceptance, adding that ⁠Lee shared ⁠concerns over the ​concentration of power under what ​critics have called the ‌country’s “imperial presidency”, Yonhap reported.

“Constitutional reform should be discussed and pursued in the ⁠National Assembly,” the official said, according to Yonhap, noting that ⁠amendments ‌require the support ⁠of at least ​200 ‌lawmakers and should be ​based ⁠on political consensus.

The presidency is currently restricted to a single five-year term.

(Reporting by Joyce LeeEditing by Ed ​Davies)