On the evening of the 23rd, President Lee Jae-myung invited the newly elected leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea to his residence for dinner and discussed ways to cooperate between the party and the government.
Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung noted in a written briefing that "this evening, President Lee invited the new leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea to his residence for dinner." The dinner lasted about two hours.
During the dinner, President Lee said, "Now is a very critical time for collaboration and communication between the legislative and executive branches for a better life and improvement of people's livelihoods," and listened attentively to the remarks of the parliamentary leadership.
The Democratic Party of Korea's leadership also stated, "Completing reform legislation and livelihood legislation is essential for the success of the Lee Jae-myung government," expressing their intent for recovering livelihoods and improving the economy.
President Lee also expressed that "the synergy between the party and the government is the foundation of success," and that he aims to be a president whose approval ratings are higher at the end than at the beginning. He further emphasized, "I will do my best to hear evaluations from the sovereign citizens that 'the real world has changed' and 'life has improved.'"
In response, the parliamentary leadership said they would "work together with the government and the Presidential Office to ensure the success of a government of popular sovereignty," as stated by Park Sang-hyuk, a senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, in a written briefing.
President Lee also shared his experiences from attending the recent Group of Seven (G7) summit, emphasizing the need for an active role in parliamentary diplomacy, as reported by Senior Spokesperson Park.
During the dinner, it was reported that discussions also took place regarding the ministerial appointments made that day. In particular, some attendees expressed concerns about the reappointment of Minister Song Mi-ryeong of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who was appointed during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, to which President Lee emphasized the importance of balanced appointments.
This dinner is evaluated as the first official exchange between the newly elected leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea and the president, and as a starting point for smooth communication between the party and the government for the future implementation of national policy tasks.