(LEAD) Lee reiterates support for four-year, two-term presidential system

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung has reiterated his support for a four-year, two-term presidential system through constitutional reform, while also expressing openness to shortening his term length. In a social media post, the president emphasized that his push for constitutional revision stems from his campaign pledge and remains a consistent position.

Lee stated that the current 40-year-old Constitution is no longer aligned with modern times and that a majority of South Koreans agree on the necessity of its revision. He further suggested that the specific provisions of such a revision should be determined by the National Assembly through a consensus between ruling and opposition parties.

The president also pointed out that incorporating the spirit of the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement and the 1979 Busan-Masan pro-democracy protests into the Constitution's preamble is essential. According to a presidential official, Lee believes that a four-year, two-term presidential system, bolstered by strengthened National Assembly powers, is most palatable to the public and could help mitigate the constraints of an overly centralized presidential system.

The official also noted that Lee considers a constitutional reform to be vital and should be discussed and pursued by the National Assembly, requiring the approval of at least 200 lawmakers for implementation.