Attendance by Han Dong-hoon, Na Kyung-won, Yoon Sang-hyun, Won Hee-ryong, etc.
Presidential Office: "Dinner for Great Harmony... Communication and Cooperation"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is greeting Han Dong-hoon, the candidate for party leader, as he enters the 4th People Power Party Convention held at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do on the afternoon of the 23rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the 24th, President Yoon Suk-yeol held a dinner meeting with Han Dong-hoon, the new leader of the People Power Party, and other newly appointed leadership members. It was just one day after the People Power Party's leadership election. Attention is focused on whether President Yoon and Leader Han can dispel the rumors of discord that had arisen and achieve harmony through this dinner.
According to the Blue House, the dinner hosted by President Yoon began at 6:30 p.m. at Pine Grass, the outdoor garden of the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul, inviting the new leadership of the People Power Party.
The dinner was also attended by candidates Na Kyung-won, Won Hee-ryong, and Yoon Sang-hyun, who ran but lost in the leadership election. From the Blue House, Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok and senior aides attended.
Earlier, a Blue House official told reporters that the meaning of this dinner was, "The leadership election was more intense than ever, and the President also said in his congratulatory speech yesterday that 'the party and government must become one. We are a community of shared destiny.' Therefore, this dinner is a dinner of great harmony."
The dinner menu was samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), reportedly personally chosen by President Yoon. Given the fierce exchanges among candidates during the leadership election, it is interpreted as an intention to communicate candidly while grilling and eating samgyeopsal.
The dinner was also naturally decided after a phone call between President Yoon and Leader Han immediately following the leadership election the previous day. A Blue House official said, "(The dinner) was first proposed by the Blue House."
The official added, "I think specific plans on how the party and government will communicate and cooperate will be prepared through today's dinner."
Regarding plans for a private meeting between President Yoon and Leader Han, the official said, "Nothing has been confirmed at this point," but added, "Through schedule coordination, such a meeting could be open in the future. Not necessarily today."
People Power Party's newly appointed leader Han Dong-hoon is greeting Hong Cheol-ho, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Presidential Office (left), who visited the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 24th with a congratulatory flower arrangement for President Yoon Seok-yeol. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The dinner is expected to mainly focus on discussions about party-government harmony.
Earlier, Leader Han said after meeting Hong Cheol-ho, the Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, "I had a brief phone call with President Yoon yesterday, during which I expressed my ambition to lead party unity and solidarity while practicing good politics through dialogue and compromise, and the President encouraged me."
President Yoon also emphasized in his congratulatory speech at the leadership election the day before, "To overcome the extreme situation of a minority government and propel this country forward again, above all, a united strength is necessary," adding, "This is why our party must become one."
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