South Korea’s leading presidential candidate from the progressive camp, Lee Jae-myung, proposed on Friday a constitutional amendment aimed at limiting the use of martial law, in an effort to avoid political upheavals like the one that occurred last year.

As the country approaches a snap presidential election scheduled for June 3, Lee and his Democratic Party encouraged voters to participate, portraying the election as a chance to restore stability following the political fallout from former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief imposition of martial law in December.

“Our national reputation has suffered, but these things still happen. We must put systems in place to make such actions impossible,” Lee said during a YouTube livestream.

He emphasized that recovering from what he described as an attempted insurrection was essential for the nation’s survival, while also pledging to prioritize economic development and national unity.

Lee’s proposed constitutional reform would include stricter requirements for enacting martial law, such as mandating that any such decision receive parliamentary approval within 24 hours.

Early voter participation increased on Friday, with turnout reaching 34.74% by 6 p.m., marking the second-highest rate on record following a surge on Thursday.

Lee also advocated for an independent investigation into the December 3 martial law incident to ensure accountability, though he suggested leniency for military personnel who hesitated to carry out controversial commands.

Yoon Yeo-jun, head of the Democratic Party’s campaign, described the election as a turning point to prevent a repeat of what he called the “Yoon Suk Yeol tragedy.”

Lee’s conservative opponent, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, criticized Lee’s camp for what he referred to as a “legislative dictatorship,” pledging to resist such tendencies if elected.