SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korean politicians want to ensure that the country never again sees a leader like Park Geun-hye, who was booted from office over an explosive corruption scandal.
But they are far apart on whether doing so would require rewriting the 3-decade-old constitution, a treasured symbol of the bloody transition from dictatorship to democracy.
Several parties, including conservatives scrambling to distance themselves from Park, say South Koreans should vote in a new constitution simultaneously with a new president in May. They proposal is based on power-sharing, where the president is limited to handling foreign affairs and national security and the prime minister in charge of domestic affairs.
The party of liberal Moon Jae-in, a favorite to succeed Park, opposes a quick change and accuses rivals of plotting a short-cut to power.