The Democratic Party of Korea and the government plan to hold their first high-level party-government consultation on the 23rd since new leader Kim Min-seok took office. With the party leadership newly elected, the intent is to review state tasks and pending issues. There is also a possibility of discussions on a real estate tax reform plan.
On the morning of the 18th at the National Assembly, Leader Kim met with Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik and Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ik-pyo. Meeting figures who serve as a bridge between the presidential office and the National Assembly the day after being elected appears aimed at showing that party-government relations have been restored.
Leader Kim said, "Before paying respects at the National Cemetery, which is the first schedule for a new party leader, I received notification of President Lee Jae-myung's affliction and, through Chief Kang, received the president's words, which is not customary," but added, "It seemed it would be too late, so although it might be a bit inconvenient, we adjusted to come early."
Chief Kang said, "We recognize that the role of the party and the government working as 'one team' is very important," and added, "Based on the heated competition and energy of the party convention, and with Leader Kim at the center, we expect the Democratic Party to become an even more solid one."
The party and government plan to hold a high-level party-government consultation on the 23rd as a meet-and-greet. As pending issues and state tasks will be discussed broadly, there is a possibility that the government's tax reform plan and the three mega projects will be on the table. Earlier, during the party convention process, Leader Kim signaled supplements to the tax reform plan, saying, "Abolishing the deduction for nonresident single-home owners is effectively a tax hike."
After the meeting, Senior Spokesperson Park Sung-joon of the Democratic Party met with reporters and said, "We are preparing a high-level party-government consultation after the party leader's inauguration," adding, "As the first official schedule, the fact that the presidential office and the party arranged a meeting conveys a certain intention."