President's Golf Meeting Sparks Internal Strife in Ruling Party Over Constitutional Amendment Talks

A golf meeting between President Lee Jae-myung and senior members of the People Power Party (PPP) has ignited internal dissent within the ruling party, with many criticizing the gathering as a politically calculated move. The meeting, which reportedly included discussions about constitutional amendments, has led to accusations that the president is attempting to exploit divisions within the PPP.

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At a time when we must fight the ruling party's excesses with a unified front, the fact that some of our party members held a golf meeting with President Lee has caused bewilderment and disappointment among many party members. Ultimately, it was an inappropriate action that led them to be ensnared by President Lee's political calculations.

Park Sung-hoon, the PPP's senior spokesperson, expressed strong disapproval, stating, "At a time when we must fight the ruling party's excesses with a unified front, the fact that some of our party members held a golf meeting with President Lee has caused bewilderment and disappointment among many party members." He characterized the meeting as "an inappropriate action that ultimately led them to be ensnared by President Lee's political calculations."

Park further alleged that the meeting was a "strategy to divide the PPP by co-opting members favorable to constitutional amendments and drawing up a blueprint for such changes." He also suggested it was a diversionary tactic to shift public attention away from the president's declining approval ratings, attributed to economic issues like the housing market and stock prices. Among those reportedly present were former and current National Assembly Vice Speakers Joo Ho-young and Park Deuk-heum, as well as lawmakers Kim Tae-ho, Song Eon-seok, and Yoon Jae-ok.

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The people are suffering from economic ruin. Now is not the time to pursue or even discuss constitutional amendments.

In response to the internal criticism, the PPP members who attended the meeting have emphasized their opposition to pursuing constitutional amendments without bipartisan agreement. Yoon Jae-ok stated on Facebook, "The people are suffering from economic ruin. Now is not the time to pursue or even discuss constitutional amendments." Song Eon-seok issued a statement the previous day, warning that "discussions on constitutional amendments inevitably become a black hole that absorbs all national and social agendas." He stressed that "future discussions on constitutional amendments should be independent of President Lee."

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Discussions on constitutional amendments inevitably become a black hole that absorbs all national and social agendas. Future discussions on constitutional amendments should be independent of President Lee.

Within the party, there is speculation that President Lee and the Democratic Party are initiating preliminary steps to secure PPP votes for a constitutional amendment bill, which requires 200 votes in the 299-seat National Assembly. This would necessitate at least 14 votes from the opposition bloc. An unnamed lawmaker from the Yeongnam region commented, "The golf meeting may have backfired and failed, but similar attempts are likely to continue." Former nomination committee chairman Lee Jung-hyun warned on Facebook about a scenario where the president might forge a new political alliance using constitutional amendments and national reform as justifications, potentially leveraging internal PPP conflicts and nomination issues.

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The golf meeting may have backfired and failed, but similar attempts are likely to continue.