President Lee Jae-myung is taking a commemorative photo with the ruling and opposition party leaders before lunch at the Hannam-dong residence on the 22nd. From the left, Song Unseok, floor leader of the People Power Party; Kim Yongtae, emergency response committee chairman; President Lee; and Kim Byunggi, acting party leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party. Photo by Yonhap News
On June 22, President Lee Jaemyung had lunch with the leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties, where he stated regarding the vetting of Prime Minister nominee Kim Minseok, "We should wait to hear his explanation." Concerning the issue of the allocation of standing committee chair positions raised by the opposition, he said that it is a matter that should be resolved well between the ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly.
Woo Sangho, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, held a briefing at the Yongsan presidential office on June 22 and relayed that President Lee made these remarks during his meeting with the party leaders.
That day at noon, President Lee held a luncheon meeting at the presidential residence with Kim Byunggi, acting party leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party; Kim Yongtae, emergency response committee chairman of the People Power Party; and Song Unseok, floor leader of the People Power Party. The meeting lasted about one hour and forty-five minutes.
During the meeting, Song Unseok said, "There are so many allegations about the prime minister nominee right now that it is almost impossible to handle them all," and pointed out issues with Kim Minseok's attitude toward the vetting process. In response, President Lee said, "It is best to wait for his explanation during the confirmation hearing," according to Woo Sangho.
President Lee also expressed agreement with Kim Byunggi’s call for 'improving the personnel hearing system.' Woo Sangho explained that President Lee remarked, "Because there is an atmosphere where even family backgrounds are scrutinized, capable people are reluctant to join the cabinet."
Regarding the conflict over the redistribution of standing committee chair positions between the ruling and opposition parties, President Lee stated, "This is a matter that should be negotiated well between the parties in the National Assembly," according to Woo Sangho.
Meanwhile, President Lee, upon meeting with the party leaders, explained the purpose of the luncheon by saying, "My position is to meet with the party leaders as often and as quickly as possible, so I suggested we meet. There have been requests to meet with other opposition parties that are not negotiation groups all at once, but in order to have more in-depth discussions, I thought it would be better to meet separately, so I asked to meet promptly."
President Lee continued, "You always provide valuable opinions on domestic issues, but I would appreciate it if you could share your thoughts in this kind of setting. Not only recently, but for quite some time, the Korean economy has been struggling. Everyone seems to agree that the public is facing significant difficulties."
President Lee also said, "In particular, we need to implement the supplementary budget this time. It is natural to have different opinions on policy. I am aware that there are differing views, but I will listen to them thoroughly, make adjustments where possible, and find common ground where we can, so that we can proceed as swiftly as possible."
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