250,000 Won Support Fund Bill Also on Discussion Table
Medical Crisis and Medical-Political Conflict Talks Fail
Ruling Party: "Not a Bill or Budget Issue, Discussion Difficult"
Opposition: "Seems to Be a Difference in Position with the Presidential Office"
On the 30th, Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, agreed to discuss the Cha Sang-byeong special prosecutor law and the financial investment income tax (Geumtu tax), which have drawn public attention, at a meeting of the two party leaders scheduled for the 1st of next month. They also agreed to address the Democratic Party's proposed Livelihood Recovery Support Fund law (providing 250,000 KRW support nationwide).
Park Jeong-ha, chief secretary to the People Power Party leader, and Lee Hae-sik, chief secretary to the Democratic Party leader, held a briefing at the National Assembly Communication Hall in the afternoon and announced that they had agreed on the official agenda for the ruling and opposition party leaders' meeting.
Park said, "The two parties agreed to open and sufficiently discuss six items in total, three from each side that were previously proposed," adding, "In particular, the agenda includes topics for national development, livelihood-related issues, and political reform, which will be discussed intensively."
Previously, the People Power Party proposed halting political strife, livelihood recovery, and political reform, while the Democratic Party suggested the Cha Sang-byeong special prosecutor law, the 250,000 KRW support law, and the revival of district party organizations.
In the national development category, issues such as low birthrate and future growth engines are included; in the livelihood category, various tax reforms including the Geumtu tax, household and self-employed debt, inflation, and holiday measures are covered. Regarding political reform, the agenda includes relinquishing privileges and vested interests of lawmakers and the revival of district party organizations.
However, the People Power Party and the Democratic Party showed differences in opinion regarding putting legislative conflicts and the medical crisis on the discussion table, resulting in no agreement. Lee said, "We proposed to include the medical crisis as an agenda item, but the People Power Party suggested avoiding it as an official agenda, and no consensus was reached."
When asked why the two parties failed to agree on medical reform, Park explained, "Since it is not related to bills or budgets, we said it was inappropriate to handle it as an official agenda."
On the other hand, Lee said, "It seems there is a difference in position because the issue is not only about increasing medical school quotas but also about the resulting conflicts between the legislature and the executive, the inconveniences experienced by the public, and the collapse of the medical system, which should be comprehensively addressed. I think there might be some differences between the presidential office and the ruling party since they are the government and the ruling party," he pointed out. Park responded, "It is not a difference in position but coordination."
However, Lee added that since Han and Lee will have an open dialogue during the meeting, these issues can be sufficiently addressed.
The meeting between the two party leaders is scheduled to be held on the 1st of next month from 2 p.m. for about 90 minutes, according to the chief secretaries. The opening remarks, which will be broadcast live, will be given by Han and Lee for seven minutes each. Due to the presence of contentious issues between the ruling and opposition parties, the meeting will be conducted as a 3+3 meeting with the participation of the policy chiefs and senior spokespersons from both parties, as intense debates are expected.
When asked whether a joint statement would be issued by the two party leaders, Lee explained, "Even if it does not reach the level of a formal agreement, we have decided to roughly outline the framework and bring it to the meeting. Since other resolutions may be discussed during the meeting, we are considering revising and announcing it accordingly."
Park said, "Politics has not been functioning properly for a long time, and the National Assembly is not operating effectively. Livelihoods are difficult, but through this agreed meeting between the ruling and opposition party leaders, we are doing our best to achieve good results, at least on basic matters." Additionally, the chief secretaries of both parties are considering establishing a task force for follow-up measures, not just ending the meeting as a one-time event.
Park Jeong-ha, Chief Secretary to the People Power Party Leader (left), and Lee Hae-sik, Chief Secretary to the Democratic Party Leader, are briefing on the agenda for the ruling and opposition party leaders' meeting scheduled for the 1st of next month at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 30th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
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