Democratic Party(DP) Chairman Lee Jae-myung said dealing with the aftermath of what he called former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s insurrection should come first, before changes to the Constitution.

The DP chair voiced the opinion Monday during the party’s Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly, saying constitutional change is necessary but that ending the insurrection must come first. 

Lee said that while advancing democracy is important, preventing the destruction of democracy is far more urgent and critical at the moment.

But he added that his party is open to a constitutional amendment that would stipulate the spirit of the 1980 Gwangju uprising and establish stricter criteria for declaring martial law in the Constitution’s preamble. 

The DP chair also noted that early voting is not permitted under the Referendum Act, so the law will have to be revised if the country is to concurrently hold a national referendum on constitutional change along with the presidential election.

Lee continued that the law will have to be revised this week to make that possible, adding that his party will do its best to make it happen.