AsiaToday reporter Han Dae-eui

When examining the background of President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment crisis, it is pointed out that the problem lies not in the 'imperial presidency' but in the 'imperial National Assembly.' Political experts evaluate that the '1987 system,' which was established after the constitutional amendment in 1987, created checks against the 'imperial presidency' but lacked minimal checks to prevent legislative dictatorship by the National Assembly. There are growing calls for the establishment of the 7th Republic, which significantly reduces the powers of the 'imperial National Assembly.' This seems to be a belated realization after the emergence of a large opposition party close to the seats required for constitutional amendment and presidential impeachment.

In the past, when the ruling and opposition parties had evenly matched seats, such phenomena did not occur. However, since the birth of the 'gigantic opposition party' with a large number of seats, the public has seen how limited the president's powers truly are. Therefore, the argument that the president's 'emergency powers' are the only last resort to counter the legislative dictatorship of the large opposition party is gaining traction.

Kim Sung-hoe, former presidential secretary for religious and multicultural affairs, stated that the president's declaration of martial law and the impeachment crisis revealed the image of a "tyrannical National Assembly like a Tyrannosaurus without any checks" and the "behavior of Lee Jae-myung like an absolute monarch." He emphasized that unless the imperial National Assembly is dissolved through constitutional amendment, national chaos cannot be prevented. "We need to end the '1987 system and ensure the stability of state affairs with a four-year presidential term. The small constituency system, which allows a party to dominate two-thirds of the National Assembly seats with just 51% of the vote, should be reformed into a medium constituency system or a regional proportional representation system to prevent wasted votes," Kim said. "We need to hold the presidential, general, and local elections simultaneously to prevent budget waste. A one-point constitutional amendment to dissolve the National Assembly and hold the presidential and general elections together with the upcoming 2026 local elections is necessary," he said. "President Yoon is likely considering constitutional amendments and political plans after returning to office."

Jung Seung-yoon, a professor at Busan National University Law School, emphasized the need to establish checks to prevent election fraud and corruption within the National Election Commission, dismantle the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, and address the issues revealed in the Constitutional Court.

Kim Dae-ho, head of the Social Design Research Institute and author of "Why the 7th Republic?", highlighted that the real issue lies not with the 'imperial presidency,' which he described as a fictional frame, but with the 'imperial National Assembly.' He predicted that as long as the National Assembly remains unchecked and there is an imperial party leader, such situations will persist.

Kim stated, "There must be a 'nomination system' to check the party leader. We need a system that can block the party leader's authority to cut off nominations, meaning a system where party members decide the nomination rights from the bottom up." He also emphasized the need for checks against 'imperial judges.' He analyzed, "If the judges had made consistent and unified rulings on Lee Jae-myung, such a situation would not have occurred. This is due to unpredictable rulings without standards, which means the rule of law did not function."

Cho Hyung-gon, director of the Historical Establishment Research Institute, evaluated, "To conclude all this chaos, it is best for President Yoon to return and lead the constitutional amendment. The reason why constitutional amendments have not been made so far is that former presidents have all pursued amendments for their own benefit."