‘풍요 속의 빈곤’: 87년 헌법 개정 논의에 대한 비판적 고찰

The current constitution, the outcome of the June 1987 uprising, is viewed as flawed because it led to the leadership of the political elites, not the civil society that led the uprising. The president was overly concentrated in power, the function of the political party became weak, and judicialization of politics appeared. These problems are evaluated as an institutional factor that can not consolidate Korean democracy after the transition to democracy. In addition, neoliberal reorganization after the IMF financial crisis has expanded social inequalities and increasing conflicts. This reality shows that the content of democracy is insufficient and its level is not high. It is possible to realize that social conflicts can only be achieved through 'full democracy' in the form of a democratic process that leads to the consensus of the individual through democratic procedures, guaranteeing the rights of social members and improving the quality of life. Therefore, the revision of the Constitution should faithfully serve as a precondition for ensuring that the full democracy is kept intact. However, the recent debate on the revision of the Constitution, which is spurred by the candlelight demonstration, goes beyond calculating the interests of proposers and faithfully reflects the various desires of the national and social members, is unclear. There is a plethora of arguments that are abundantly charged, but not too much elaborate arguments for validity and relevance, and the reality deserves to be termed 'poverty in the midst of plenty'. What is desirable is to amend the constitution through a democratic process of forming public sphere that freely deliberates between citizens who share information and who have different interests, preferences. When the constitutional revision is made through this process, Korea's democracy can develop into a higher level.