President Lee Jae-myung will host a luncheon meeting with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties at the presidential residence on 22nd. This meeting comes just 18 days after President Lee's inauguration, and it is being evaluated that he is communicating with the opposition at an earlier stage compared to previous presidents.
The luncheon will be attended by the interim leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Byeong-gi, the chairperson of the People Power Party's emergency response committee, Kim Yong-tae, and the floor leader, Song Eon-seok. President Lee plans to explain the results of his attendance at the Group of Seven (G7) summit and to engage in an open dialogue about national affairs without a specific agenda.
Political insiders note that issues such as the processing of the supplementary budget in the National Assembly and the confirmation of Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok are expected to be discussed at this meeting. There is attention on whether President Lee can break the impasse between the ruling and opposition parties, which are strongly at odds over these matters, by communicating directly.
Since his inauguration, President Lee has noted, "I cannot take everything all by myself 100%", adding, "We should concede what can be conceded and make compromises with policies that everyone can agree on to ensure that the citizens lead a better life."
Chairperson Kim met with reporters at the National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the same day and said, "I appreciate that the Lee Jae-myung government has swiftly invited the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties to create a space for discussion on various issues," and added, "We will actively cooperate to improve people's livelihoods and collaborate for Korea."
He also remarked, "As the matters concerning the chairmanship of the judiciary committee and the confirmation of the prime minister are directly related to the restoration of politics, I will naturally express the concerns held by the People Power Party."