Consecutive presidential terms? Don't even dream about it

The issue of constitutional revision for presidential terms is resurfacing in South Korea. The current focus is not on the 1987 system, but rather on whether President Lee Jae Myung would be subject to a constitutional amendment that introduces a four-year presidential term with the possibility of reelection. The Constitution clearly states that the incumbent president cannot benefit from such a change, which is why no one initially considered the possibility.

However, this question has suddenly emerged under President Lee's administration. When he ran for president, he promised a constitutional amendment that would allow for two consecutive four-year terms, but he reassured voters that it would not apply to him. If that remains true, one would expect President Lee to react with annoyance to the persistent doubts about his intentions and say something like, "I keep telling you, I have no thoughts of a second term."

Instead, his response has been evasive, with one example being his comment, "Do I really need to say I won't steal?"

Interestingly, President Lee has a history of not following through on his promises. One notable example is his 2023 declaration to waive his immunity from arrest. When an actual arrest crisis arose, he resisted.