President Lee Jae-myung will invite the Democratic Party of Korea and People Power Party leaders and floor leaders to the Blue House on the 7th to hold a ruling-opposition-government livelihood economy consultative meeting. With high oil prices and high inflation persisting amid global energy supply instability caused by the prolonged Middle East war, the aim is for the political sphere to seek bipartisan countermeasures. This will be the second time the president and the two party leaders meet in one place since the luncheon at the Yongsan presidential office in Sep. last year.
At a Blue House briefing on the afternoon of the 3rd, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ik-pyo said, "To actively respond to the economic crisis and uncertainty in the international situation caused by the Middle East war, national unity and bipartisan cooperation are necessary," and added, "With this understanding, President Lee Jae-myung decided to push for a ruling-opposition-government livelihood economy consultative meeting."
The luncheon will be attended by Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae and floor leader Han Byung-do; People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk and floor leader Song Eon-seog; Prime Minister Kim Min-seok; Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik; and Senior Secretary Hong Ik-pyo.
This meeting comes a little over two months after leader Jang notified his "absence" an hour before a scheduled luncheon with the president. On Feb. 12, Jang had said he would not attend the meeting between the ruling and opposition party leaders proposed by the president, citing opposition from his party's supreme council members. He said it was because the Democratic Party of Korea was pushing through the three judicial bills (distortion of law crime, constitutional complaint system, and increase in Supreme Court justices), but in political circles there was also talk that he accepted pressure from hard-core supporters.
Hong said, "The national economic crisis stemming from the Middle East war is worsening by the day," and added, "Because social unity and bipartisan cooperation to overcome a national crisis have become more important, the president proposed this consultative body, and before that, floor leader Song Eon-seog had made a similar proposal in advance."
On the agenda for the talks, he said, "Naturally, countermeasures to the domestic economic crisis and uncertainty in the international situation are set to be addressed as important items," adding, "However, because it is a meeting between the ruling and opposition leadership and the president, there are no limits on the agenda. There will be free discussion."