Song Eon-seok, the chairperson of the emergency countermeasures committee and floor leader of the People Power Party, said on the 15th, the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, regarding Democratic Party of Korea leader Jeong Cheong-rae, "We sat right next to each other, but we couldn't shake hands or talk." While there had been expectations that the leaders of both parties could start a dialogue during the ceremony commemorating the 80th Liberation Day, it fell through.
At the inauguration ceremony of the council of non-parliamentary party members held at the party office in Yeouido, the chairperson of the emergency committee, Song, noted, "Today at the Liberation Day ceremony, Jeong Cheong-rae was sitting next to me, but he didn't even look at me," and added, "Who among the people of Korea with a normal way of thinking could comfortably shake hands with Jeong Cheong-rae?"
He continued, "The representative Jeong said a strange thing, 'Handshake is something people do,' and I feel the same."
After the inauguration ceremony, when reporters asked, "Did you not talk with Representative Jeong?", Song replied, "We sat right next to each other, but we couldn't shake hands or talk. I also talk to people." Representative Jeong has noted that since he took office as party leader, the People Power Party has not expressed any public apology or reflection regarding the 12·3 state of emergency, stating, "Shake hands are also something people do," and is not pursuing a meeting with the People Power Party leadership.
Song also reiterated his stance on not attending the 'National Appointment Ceremony' held in Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul that afternoon. In response to a question about what President Lee Jae-myung said at the ceremony, he stated, "The president said, 'Please come to the evening event as well,' and I replied, 'We will not be going.'" The leadership of the People Power Party had already announced early on their policy of not attending the National Appointment Ceremony in protest against the special pardons issued on Liberation Day, which included former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and former lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang.