Three minor opposition parties on Wednesday called on the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and main opposition Liberty Korea Party to revive efforts to amend the Constitution.

The rival parties failed to reach an agreement on revising the law on national referendums in time to put the constitutional amendment to a public vote alongside local elections in June.

President Moon Jae-in criticized the National Assembly on Tuesday for failing to make the referendum possible in June, and for not even once deliberating the constitutional revision bill that he had proposed.

The national referendum law was ruled unconstitutional in 2014, but has yet to be replaced.

“An opportunity to amend the Constitution after 31 years is hanging by a thread due to political strife between the two major parties,” the Bareunmirae Party, Party for Democracy and Peace and Justice Party said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

“We express strong regret over President Moon’s denunciation of the entire National Assembly yesterday.” 

The three minor parties urged the major parties to normalize the parliament as soon as possible, and start meetings of the eight officials from floor negotiating blocs to discuss the constitutional amendment as agreed earlier.

The minor parties said they have already come up with an arbitration plan for constitutional revision, and are confident the two major parties can reach a compromise.

“Although it has become difficult to revise the Constitution in June, the National Assembly can reach an agreement on a bill before the local elections and set a new date to hold the national referendum,” the parties said.

The Liberty Korea Party earlier proposed holding the plebiscite in September after rival parties agree on a bill for constitutional revision in June.

Some within the Democratic Party say the referendum could be held in 2020 during the parliamentary elections, but chances are low, as lawmakers are unlikely to be proactive in making changes to the electoral system ahead of their elections.

“We must put together a bill that embodies the demands of our time and the people’s aspirations even if the constitutional revision takes place in July or August,” Justice Party floor leader Roh Hoe-chan said.

The Liberty Korea Party has boycotted key parliamentary sessions, calling on the ruling party to accept its demands for a special counsel investigation into an online opinion-rigging scandal and the passage of a revision to the Broadcast Act.

Liberty Korea Party Floor Leader Kim Sung-tae on Wednesday hinted that his party could cooperate on other contentious issues if the ruling party agrees to an independent counsel probe into the alleged public opinion manipulation by former Democratic Party members including an influential blogger known as “Druking.”

“We will positively review the revised supplementary budget and the national referendum law if the Democratic Party and Moon administration accept the special probe into Druking,” Kim said.

Kim noted that the independent counsel should investigate Rep. Kim Kyoung-soo of the Democratic Party, who had been in contact with Druking from 2016; Lee Ju-min, the commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency who had been investigating Druking; and Moon’s secretary for civil affairs who met with a person Druking recommended for a senior government position.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)