Overview
- President Lee held a televised press conference in which he explicitly said he has no intention of seeking re‑election through proposed constitutional change.
- The event was staged as a bid to stop falling approval ratings that have dropped into the mid‑30 percent range, with especially weak support among younger voters.
- Lee and the ruling Democratic Party are backing a revision to replace the single five‑year term with a four‑year, two‑term presidency, but the Constitution bars such changes from applying to the sitting president.
- Critics demand answers about prosecution reform after several trials involving Lee were suspended following his inauguration, and opponents continue to allege the reforms could blunt legal cases against him.
- Personnel controversies, including the withdrawal of Rep. Yong Hye‑in’s nomination for gender‑equality minister, and intensified opposition scrutiny of reform plans leave key disputes unresolved and set the issues voters and lawmakers will watch next.