Democratic Party's Lee proposes amending Constitution for two four-year presidential terms

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Sunday proposed an amendment to the nation's Constitution that would allow a president to serve two four-year terms.

The proposal is expected to help reduce presidential powers because a president could be judged by voters when the first four-year term is over, Lee said in a Facebook posting.

"By introducing the double-term presidency, a president's responsibility will be strengthened" because of mid-term elections, Lee said.

Lee, who has kept a solid lead in opinion polls for the June 3 election, called for the National Assembly to form a special committee for the discussions for the proposed amendment.

South Korea's single, five-year term presidency was established in an amendment to the Constitution in 1987. (Yonhap)