The survey came as the politically sensitive issue of revision resurfaced last week with heavyweight politicians, including National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun, calling for a shift in the way the country is run.

The survey found that 250, or 83.3 percent, of the 300 lawmakers, said they "shared" the need for a constitutional revision.

By party, 77 percent of the ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers responded positively to the question over the constitutional revision, while 86.9 percent of the lawmakers from the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea voiced their support for it. More than 92 percent of the lawmakers from the minor People's Party espoused the revision.

Compared with the two opposition parties, the ruling party appeared to have a more cautious stance as President Park Geun-hye has shown opposition to the revision on the grounds that the issue could divert attention from more urgent issues, such as revitalizing the economy.

As for the question of how to alter the nation's governing structure through a constitutional revision, 46.8 percent of those polled said they favor a presidential system in which the chief executive is allowed to serve for two four-year terms. The current system bars the president from seeking reelection.

For the same question, 24.4 percent of the lawmakers said they are in favor of a "dual executive system" under which more power is given to the prime minister, while 14 percent supported the adoption of a purely parliamentary cabinet system like the one in Japan.

The dual executive system is a power-sharing model in which the prime minister is given substantial power in handling state affairs, such as public security, economic policies and personnel, while the president is in charge of external affairs, including foreign affairs and defense.

As to the timing of the revision, 47.6 percent of the questioned said that the revision should be completed before the presidential election in December next year, while 41.2 percent said that the revision should be carried out under the next government.

Meanwhile, the survey also found that 65.6 percent of those in favor of the constitutional revision acknowledged that the revision should come along with a change in the current election system. But 28.8 percent of them remained opposed to the change in the election system.

The current election system is based on a mixed form of a small electoral system, where one person represents one constituency, and a proportional representation arrangement. It has long been criticized for worsening regionalism and encouraging elected politicians to focus only on the interests of their provincial voters.

It remains to be seen whether a change in the Constitution could actually be pushed for as there has been little consensus among potential presidential contenders over when and how it should be carried out.

To rewrite the Constitution, either the president or half of the 300 lawmakers should propose a change in a motion, which must be approved by more than two-thirds of the lawmakers and supported by a majority of the voters in a national referendum. (Yonhap)