韓國總統提議修改總統任期

South Korea’s government has proposed a four-year, two-term presidency as a key element of the constitutional amendment that President Moon Jae-in is pushing to improve the balance of power in the east Asian country.

韓國政府提議將總統任期改爲任期4年，可連任一屆。這是韓國總統文在寅(Moon Jae-in)爲改善這個東亞國家的力量平衡而推動修憲的關鍵組成部分。

Cho Kuk, senior presidential secretary for legal affairs, said it was time for the country to amend the constitution to allow the two-term presidency as the current five-year single-term presidency hails from the past era of long dictatorship. The presidential Blue House also proposed lowering the legal voting age from the current 19 to 18 in accordance with global standards.

韓國總統負責法律事務的首席民政祕書官曹國(Cho Kuk)表示，韓國修改憲法，允許總統任兩屆的時機已經成熟。目前實行的任期5年、不可連任的總統任期制是因爲當時韓國經歷了長久的獨裁時代。韓國總統府青瓦臺(Blue House)還提出，將投票年齡從目前的19歲降至18歲，與全球標準一致。

“It is time for us to implement the two-term four-year presidency [pending reelection] in order to enable responsible politics and stable management of national affairs amid the increased political awareness of the public,” Mr Cho told a news conference on Thursday.

週四曹國在新聞發佈會上說：“在公衆的政治意識日益增強的情況下，爲了實現負責任的政治，確保國家事務得到穩定管理，我們是時候實行任期4年、可任兩屆的總統任期了（真正實施還有待重新選舉）。”

The Blue House said the constitutional amendment proposal reflected growing public calls for guarding against presidential powers amid criticism that too much power concentrated in the president has made the country’s former presidents susceptible to corruption.

青瓦臺表示，修憲提案反映出，在民衆批評總統權力過於集中，導致該國之前的幾屆總統身陷腐敗之際，公衆對於防範總統權力的呼聲日益高漲。

The proposal also includes reducing presidential power by strengthening the prime minister’s powers, stripping the president of the right to appoint the chief of the Constitutional Court and allowing the National Assembly to name three members of the nine-member state audit agency.

修憲案的內容還包括強化總理的權力來分走總統的權力；取消總統任命憲法法院院長的權力；在國家審計機構的9名成員中，允許國民大會(National Assembly)指定3名成員。

The government planned to submit the proposal to parliament on Monday. It needs approval from two-thirds of its lawmakers for a national referendum. But the Blue House is facing an uphill battle to get it passed at parliament, given strong opposition from opposition parties.

韓國政府計劃下週一向國會提交修憲案。需要得到三分之二的議員的贊成票，才能就修憲舉行國民公投。但要促使該案在國會通過，青瓦臺面臨着一場艱難的戰役，因爲反對黨對此表示強烈反對。