The victory of the 22nd general election became the decisive driving force behind the reform drive of the Lee Jae-myung government (the people's sovereignty government)

Background and Key Principles of the Launch of the People's Sovereignty Government

On June 4, 2025, with the inauguration of President Lee Jae-myung, the official name of the new government was confirmed as 'People's Sovereignty Government.' This name embodies President Lee's philosophy of creating a country where 'the people are the owners' and reflects a strong commitment to expanding direct democracy. During the election process, President Lee promised to establish a system where the people are respected not as objects of politics but as sovereigns, and accordingly, he outlined institutional reforms such as strengthening fundamental rights, expanding local autonomy, and amending the constitution. This is not merely rhetoric but signifies a vision for a new government structure with the core objective of enhancing direct public participation in politics and strengthening checks and balances among power institutions.

Results of the 22nd General Election and the Political Foundation for Reform

In the 22nd National Assembly election held in April 2024, the Democratic Party and its satellite party, the Democratic Alliance, achieved a landslide victory by securing a total of 175 seats, comprising 161 district seats and 14 proportional representation seats. In contrast, the People Power Party managed only 108 seats, with 90 district seats and 18 proportional representation seats. The Democratic Party maintained its position as the leading party for the third consecutive term following the 21st National Assembly, and the significant number of seats it secured far exceeds a majority on its own, marking an unprecedented result in constitutional history. While this outcome falls slightly short of constitutional amendment, it provides a sufficiently stable foundation for advancing legislative and reform initiatives. Immediately following the election, the Democratic Party indicated its commitment to major reform legislation, clearly expressing its intention to fulfill the political responsibilities entrusted by the public.

Lessons from the Failure of the Moon Jae-in Administration's Reforms and the Need for Unity within the Party

One of the reasons why reforms during the Moon Jae-in administration did not progress as expected is pointed out to be the limitations within the ruling party. Civil society organizations and experts have analyzed that internal divisions and the resistance of vested interest groups weakened the momentum for reform. In fact, during the latter half of the Moon Jae-in administration, judicial, prosecution, and media reforms remained unfinished due to political resistance and internal conflicts. The Lee Jae-myung administration is adopting a strategy to strengthen internal solidarity and proactively eliminate factors that hinder reform in order not to repeat the same mistakes.

Internal maintenance through the introduction of a system for nomination

The Democratic Party has introduced a system nomination ahead of the 22nd National Assembly elections. This nomination method quantifies the criteria for candidacy and evaluates aspects such as identity, contribution, morality, and electability both quantitatively and qualitatively, minimizing arbitrary intervention by the leadership and enhancing fairness and transparency. As a result of this process, individuals who opposed the reform agenda or caused internal divisions were excluded from the nominations, and there is an assessment that party unity and the momentum for reform have been further strengthened.

Major reform tasks of the people's sovereignty government

End of Civil War: On June 5, immediately after its launch, the National Assembly's plenary session swiftly processed three major special prosecutor laws, including the special prosecutor law for uncovering the truth behind the 'December 3 Incident', as well as a prosecutor disciplinary law. This serves as a legal resolution to the unconstitutional actions of the previous government and marks the starting point of a political transition that will lead to the 'Special Law for the Disbandment of the Civil War'. Prosecutorial Reform: In order to complete the separation of investigation and prosecution that remained unfinished during the Moon Jae-in administration, the prosecution office will be transformed into a 'prosecution agency', and the establishment of a Serious Crime Investigation Agency along with the transfer of investigative powers to the police will be actively pursued. Additionally, specific legal measures such as the establishment of a legal procedure law, the introduction of pre-examination of search and seizure warrants, and the reduction of the size of prosecutor investigative teams are being prepared. Judicial Reform: Expansion of the Supreme Court's quota (from 14 to 30 members), the introduction of litigation for constitutional review at the Constitutional Court, and amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act are underway, with the government predicting prompt processing in the plenary session despite the controversy over legislative dominance. Media Reform: The three broadcasting laws and amendments to the Broadcasting and Communications Commission law aimed at normalizing the structure of public broadcasting and communication oversight have been reintroduced. The aim is to expand the right to recommend board members of public broadcasters to civil society and strengthen the conditions for the number of members in Broadcasting and Communications Commission decisions to prevent unilateral operation by the regime. The Democratic Party is integrating these into a unified party initiative labeled as the '3+1 Media Normalization Bill'.

Official announcement and policy implementation status

The reform tasks are advancing rapidly not only through the president's direct announcement but also through the ruling party's specific legislative activities. The Democratic Party has reintroduced bills that were previously vetoed by past administrations, such as the Yellow Envelope Law and amendments to the Commercial Law, and the president has promised a resolution within '2-3 weeks.' Each reform bill is going through the procedures of being presented in the judiciary and standing committees, and the media reform task force meeting is also set to be voted on in the general assembly in June. Civil society is responding by demanding the faithful and consistent promotion of the reform tasks.

Conclusion: The Golden Time for Reform, for the True Implementation of National Sovereignty

The government of popular sovereignty is stepping forward for institutional reform under the slogan of "strengthening direct democracy." Based on the victory in the 22nd general election, the strategy to realize fundamental reforms across the prosecution, judiciary, and media through legislation seeks to reflect on the experiences of past reform failures while pursuing internal unity and legitimacy simultaneously. The announced bills and schedules are concrete blueprints that signal real change, not merely declarations. Now, the citizens are ready to open the door to a new era as direct participants and overseers of the reform, rather than just mere observers.