President Yoon's Lunch with Chairman Han Dong-hoon at the Presidential Office... Korea "Will Discuss Livelihood Issues" (Summary)

First Presidential Office Luncheon After Appointment of South Korean People Power Party Emergency Committee Chair

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, will hold a private luncheon meeting at the Yongsan Government Complex on the 29th.

A presidential office official stated, "President Yoon and Chairman Han plan to have lunch together at the presidential office."

In addition to President Yoon and Chairman Han, Lee Kwan-seop, Chief of Staff to the President, Han Oh-seop, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, and Yoon Jae-ok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, will also attend the luncheon.

This is the first time President Yoon has invited Chairman Han to the Yongsan presidential office for lunch since Han accepted the position of Emergency Response Committee Chairman on December 26 last year.

Typically, when the ruling party's emergency response committee chairman takes office, the president invites the party leadership to promote harmony between the government and the ruling party.

Until now, the presidential office was reportedly hesitant to invite Chairman Han immediately after his appointment, as there had been criticism of a "vertical government-party relationship," and they wanted to avoid misunderstandings that could negatively affect the upcoming election.

The sudden luncheon meeting is interpreted as a strong intention to finalize reconciliation, as the presidential office and Chairman Han had a direct confrontation over the nomination of Kim Kyung-yul as an emergency committee member and the controversy surrounding First Lady Kim Kun-hee's luxury handbag, but have now reached a dramatic reconciliation.

Moreover, since President Yoon and Chairman Han met at the fire site of the Seocheon Special Market in Chungnam on the 23rd and reconciled their conflict, it is believed that President Yoon's invitation to Chairman Han was considered appropriate.

President Yoon and Chairman Han are expected to discuss government-party relations and livelihood policies ahead of the election.

Chairman Han told reporters at the People Power Party headquarters on the morning of the same day, regarding the luncheon with President Yoon, "It is not unusual for the president and the ruling party leader to have lunch together." He added, "I will have a good discussion about livelihood issues (with President Yoon)."

In political circles, this meeting, held one month after Chairman Han's appointment, is interpreted as the final stage of reconciliation between the government and the ruling party.