Ruling Party: "Lee Jae-myung's Proposal for Summit Meeting Is a Bulletproof Strategy"… Fierce Criticism Continues

Kang Ming-guk "The Right Time to Fiercely Discuss Livelihood Issues"
Also Criticizes Former President Moon Jae-in's Remarks

The People Power Party strongly criticized Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, for proposing a 'summit meeting' to President Yoon Suk-yeol, calling it a 'shield strategy.'

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is meeting with Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader, who visited Green Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul on the 28th of last month.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Kang Min-guk, chief spokesperson, stated in a commentary on the 1st, "He is merely trying a shallow scheme to dilute public opinion focused on Lee's unresolved judicial risks," adding, "It is clearly another shield strategy."

He continued, "Now is the right time to fiercely discuss livelihood issues through a meeting between the heads of the ruling and opposition parties rather than a tantrum-like summit meeting."

Park Dae-chul, chairman of the Policy Committee, referred to past remarks by Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party. On Facebook, Park said, "The current Hong floor leader urges the president to accept the (summit meeting), but four years ago, Hong, then chief spokesperson, was the exact opposite," pointing out, "The Democratic Party rejected summit meetings as relics of an outdated era when they were the ruling party, but now as the opposition, they are pressing as if they had left a tab unpaid."

In May 2019, when Hwang Kyo-ahn, then leader of the Liberty Korea Party (predecessor of the People Power Party), proposed a summit meeting to President Moon Jae-in, Hong, then chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party, said, "One-on-one summit meetings were held during the authoritarian regimes of the past when there was a monarch-like party leader."

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo also criticized on Facebook, saying, "Lee's insistence on meeting the president seems only to be an attempt to alleviate judicial risks and has nothing to do with the people's livelihood," and added, "It makes no sense that he refuses to meet Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, because they are not on the same level but tries to raise his status by meeting the president."

The mayor further said, "Now that he has been released without detention, he should stop clinging to the president, reconcile within the party, and focus on livelihood politics himself."

The People Power Party also raised criticism over former President Moon Jae-in's call during a phone conversation with floor leader Hong Ik-pyo to "lay the foundation for victory in the general election with united strength."

Jang Dong-hyuk, floor spokesperson, said in a commentary, "Articles about former President Moon, who left a farewell speech expressing a desire to be forgotten, are being reported almost daily," and added, "He is stepping forward as if he were the head of the Democratic Party's election committee even ahead of the Gangseo District mayoral election."

Jang emphasized, "This Gangseo District mayoral election is not to grant a pardon to the Moon Jae-in administration and Lee Jae-myung but an election for the uninterrupted development of Gangseo District," and stressed, "Former President Moon and Lee should not muddy this election with their political calculations."