Yoon Offers "Let's Have a Meal Together"... Park Hong-geun Says "We Must Communicate Casually with the Sitting President" (Summary)

Park Hong-geun "Respect and Communication in the National Assembly Come First"
Jang Je-won "Establishing a New Ruling and Opposition Relationship"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Park Hong-geun, the newly appointed floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 25th to Jang Je-won, a member of the National Assembly and chief of staff to President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol, “The ruling and opposition parties must join forces. The starting point is respect for the National Assembly and communication.”

On the same day, Floor Leader Park received a congratulatory orchid with a message celebrating President-elect Yoon’s inauguration during Jang’s visit to the National Assembly. The orchid bore the inscription “20th President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol, Congratulations on your inauguration (祝就任).”

Floor Leader Park greeted Jang by saying, “Welcome,” and Jang smiled, saying, “I personally chose and brought something very nice,” and “I sincerely congratulate you.” Park said, “As I told President-elect Yoon last night, there is no ruling or opposition when it comes to security and people’s livelihood, so we must join forces,” adding, “The starting point is to respect the National Assembly and communicate.”

Jang said, “I hope this will be an opportunity to establish a new relationship between the ruling and opposition parties,” and responded to Floor Leader Park’s request by saying, “I will always respect and consult with you.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, after the meeting, Floor Leader Park told reporters, “I said two things: ‘Please communicate, and adhere to principles. Then all problems will be resolved.’” He added, “Communication with the people and with the National Assembly representing the people is important, and informal communication with the sitting president is also important,” and said, “If the two meet directly, many issues will be resolved, but it is undesirable that the situation is causing concern among the people.”

Regarding President-elect Yoon, he said, “Principles mean that, as a legal professional, he should properly follow laws and regulations,” and “It is better not to consider political calculations.” He added, “It should not change depending on who the president is or which party is in power. Don’t question intentions or why things weren’t done before; it is best to follow the regulations,” and said, “I mentioned that this would prevent unnecessary disputes in the future.”

After the meeting, Jang also told reporters, “I have a personal and friendly relationship with Floor Leader Park,” and said, “When I was the budget committee secretary in 2018, the new floor leader was effectively the secretary. Although we had many conflicts, after the budget passed, the newspaper headlines read ‘Democratic Korea Party Budget,’ showing how well we worked together.”

Jang also conveyed that President-elect Yoon proposed a meal meeting with Floor Leader Park. He said, “After Floor Leader Park appointed the floor leader team and completed the handover, the president-elect said he would invite him to a meal, and I conveyed that well.”