**Discussion on Constitutional Amendment for Decentralization in the National Assembly**
The National Assembly hosted a discussion on the constitutional amendment for decentralization, with prominent figures such as Kwon Young-se and others attending. This event, reminiscent of a presidential campaign kickoff, showcased the presence of key “hidden dragons” in the ruling party’s sphere. Oh Se-hoon stated, “The president’s powers must be boldly decentralized, and five supra-regional local governments should be established.”
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon actively promoted a decentralization-oriented constitutional amendment within his party. At the ‘Discussion on Overcoming the 1987 System through Constitutional Amendment for Decentralization’ held at the National Assembly Library in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 12th, Mayor Oh highlighted the necessity of the amendment, showcasing his presence. By presenting his method of “decentralization,” Mayor Oh visited the National Assembly as discussions on constitutional amendments intensified within and outside the party. The event gathered 48 party-related members, including leadership, underscoring Oh’s status as a significant “hidden dragon” in the ruling party. In his opening speech, Mayor Oh stated, “Korea is facing a national crisis, and constitutional amendments are essential to turning this crisis into an opportunity,” emphasizing, “The core of overcoming the 1987 constitutional system lies in dismantling the centralizing state framework and significantly transferring authority to local governments.”
He further emphasized the need for bold decentralization that includes the transfer of legislative, administrative, and financial powers. The key aspect of the decentralization amendment proposed by Mayor Oh is the creation of supra-regional local governments to foster a competitive environment. This system would establish four supra-regional local governments, excluding the metropolitan area, transferring most powers to them while retaining diplomatic, security, and defense powers with the president—a model dubbed the ‘5 Major Compact States Project,’ where the metropolitan area competes with the newly formed supra-regional governments.
Should supra-regional local governments be established in the regions, each is expected to have a population ranging from 4.9 million to 7.5 million. Mayor Oh argues that concerns over lack of competitiveness due to small population sizes are premature, as the population scale would be similar to strong small countries like Singapore and Ireland.
At the discussion, Hwang Seung-yeon, an honorary professor at Kyung Hee University, who presented the main theme, stated, “If local governments lead in all areas including economy, industry, welfare, education, energy, medical, and culture, Korea could become the aggregate of 5-6 Irelands, Singapore, and Netherlands.”
Mayor Oh emphasized, “By setting unique development strategies for each region, a practical national transformation is achievable,” adding, “If local governments enter a competitive state, Korea can once again create a new growth momentum of about 10% annually, similar to the 1980s.” He also mentioned, “While the idea of changing the single 5-year presidential term to a 4-year renewable term is good, I believe further decentralization involves boldly transferring presidential powers to local governments,” suggesting that a separate discussion on the prime minister’s responsible role is necessary if significant powers are genuinely devolved to local governments.
Mayor Oh insisted that the constitutional amendment should also include measures enabling mutual checks between the government and the National Assembly, such as the power for the cabinet to dissolve the assembly and the assembly’s power to pass a vote of no confidence in the cabinet. He criticized, “The Democratic Party, holding an overwhelming majority, has provided reasons for military rule under the guise of checking presidential power through unprecedented parliamentary tyranny,” emphasizing the need to overcome the drawbacks of the current imperial presidential system, including resolving the issue of local extinction.
The discussion drew a crowd reminiscent of a ‘presidential campaign launch.’ Prominent figures from the People Power Party, including Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kwon Young-se, Floor Leader Kwon Sung-dong, Policy Committee Chairman Kim Sang-hoon, and Secretary-General Lee Yang-soo, attended, supporting Oh’s amendment proposal. Floor Leader Kwon remarked, “The current presidential system is fraught with issues to the extent that there’s not a single successful president,” indicating a system problem rather than a personnel issue as viewed by constitutional scholars. Not only those aligned with President Yoon but also figures aligned with Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon, such as Seob Beom-soo and Kim So-hee, participated in the discussion.
During his speech, when attendees chanted Oh’s name, five-term senior lawmaker Kim Ki-hyeon acknowledged, “I understand what you mean,” declaring, “I am also a comrade at heart.” Ahn Cheol-soo, classified as a potential presidential candidate, also attended and exchanged greetings with Mayor Oh.
After the discussion, Mayor Oh, when asked by reporters about issues including an early presidential election, the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol, and the special prosecutor’s bill regarding Myung Tai-gyun, said regarding his mention as a presidential candidate, “As the Constitutional Court is currently proceeding with the trial, discussions on an early presidential election are not late if pursued after that conclusion,” avoiding further remarks. He reiterated his support for the impeachment motion against President Yoon, indicating no change in his stance on having the matter judged legally through impeachment.