[Inside Chodong] Uneasy Views on the Prospects of a Summit

The April Summit Was Merely Ceremonial; No More Going in Circles
Both Ruling and Opposition Parties Must Approach with Genuine Sincerity

President Yoon Suk-yeol is listening to the remarks of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, during a summit meeting held on April 29 at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

"He said, 'I want to meet the president,' yet he has proposed the third special investigation law on Chae Sang-byeong. The sincerity of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party representative candidate, is in doubt."

Since the summit between President Yoon Seok-yeol and Lee in April, public attention has focused on whether a second summit will take place, but the atmosphere in Yongsan remains cold. Following candidate Lee Jae-myung’s gesture of communication saying he wants to meet again, Park Chan-dae, acting party leader and floor leader, has also stepped up to foster a summit atmosphere, stating, "It is difficult to overcome the crisis by the Yoon Seok-yeol government alone."

As the Democratic Party, which had continued legislative unilateralism, unexpectedly shifts to requesting dialogue, many view this with skepticism. Some within the ruling party sympathize with the need for dialogue and cooperation to break the vicious cycle of 'forced passage of bills' and 'vetoes,' but there is widespread suspicion that "the representative will be Lee Jae-myung anyway. Since the Democratic Party’s convention lacks popularity and presence, the summit might just be a card to change the political situation." On the surface, Yongsan says, "Since the Democratic Party representative has not yet been decided, we will decide after the 18th," offering no clear stance, positive or negative.

In fact, it is President Yoon who desperately needs opposition cooperation. At the People Power Party convention on the 23rd of last month, President Yoon said, "Thinking about the work ahead makes it hard to sleep at night. But no matter how much I want to work, the political situation makes it difficult to do so properly," criticizing, "The 22nd National Assembly has begun, but the major opposition party is engrossed in political strife, effectively shutting down." This was also an expression of frustration in the face of the major opposition party’s wall.

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung is speaking at a summit meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol held on April 29 at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The reason the opposition’s summit proposal is not entirely welcome is partly due to the bitter memories of the first summit. Although the meeting was held under the spotlight of the entire nation, both sides only reaffirmed their differences. On April 29, Lee read aloud, unilaterally for about 10 minutes, a 10-page A4 script containing his demands after shaking hands with President Yoon, who, mindful of the recent election defeat, tolerated it. The meeting then turned private and ultimately failed to produce a joint statement, earning the stigma of a 'fruitless summit.'

At the time, some attributed significance to the meeting itself as a breakthrough in communication and cooperation, but a presidential office official said, "Given President Yoon’s strong dislike of 'showy actions,' he will not hold another summit just to show a gesture to the media." Rather, there is even a sense that President Yoon plans to 'face the current situation head-on' by personally briefing the nation on state affairs quarterly.

In April last year, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who led Germany for 16 years, was awarded Germany’s highest honorary medal. The person who awarded the medal to Merkel, a conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) member, was none other than Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German president from the progressive Social Democratic Party (SPD). Steinmeier, who was Merkel’s rival as a chancellor candidate from the two major parties, praised Merkel as an "incomparable politician."

The summit that the people desire is not merely a ceremonial event for taking photos. With people already exhausted by the heatwave and growing disillusionment and fatigue over the plummeting 'dignity of the National Assembly,' both ruling and opposition parties are expected to genuinely demonstrate sincere cooperation.