President Lee Myung-bak invited all members of the ruling Grand National Party and the opposition Democratic Party to a dinner meeting at the Blue House on the 29th in an effort to build a united front. The dinner meeting was seen as an attempt to ease tensions between the party and the government. The invitation was accepted by all 174 Democratic Party lawmakers. A total of 298 lawmakers from both parties, including 124 from the Grand National Party, were invited to the dinner. The meeting was scheduled to start at 6:30 pm. The presidential office said it hopes that the dinner meeting would serve as an opportunity for the two parties to engage in in-depth discussions on pending issues. The move comes as President Lee is seeking to push for a major overhaul of his Cabinet. The Cabinet reshuffle is expected to take place in early September. The president also plans to replace some of his senior aides. The reshuffle is seen as an effort by the president to revive his declining popularity. President Lee's approval ratings have been on the decline due to a series of controversies surrounding his government. The president's aides downplayed the significance of the dinner meeting. "We're just having a meal together," said a senior presidential aide. The aide, however, added that it would be good for the two parties to have a "heart-to-heart" talk. The opposition party has been critical of the president's policies. The Democratic Party has called for a parliamentary investigation into several issues, including the government's handling of a major scandal involving the country's largest savings bank. The party has also demanded that the government take steps to rein in rising housing prices. The Grand National Party has supported the government's policies. Tensions have been running high between the two parties. The dinner meeting was seen as an attempt to ease the tensions. The meeting was also seen as an effort by the president to reach out to the opposition party. President Lee has been criticized for being out of touch with the opposition party. The president's party has a majority in the National Assembly. However, the opposition party has been critical of the president's policies. The dinner meeting was seen as an effort by the president to build a united front. The meeting was also seen as an attempt to ease tensions between the party and the government. The presidential office said it hopes that the dinner meeting would serve as an opportunity for the two parties to engage in in-depth discussions on pending issues.
President Je Nam is broadening contacts within his own party through "meals politics." This move is aimed at healing the severe factional conflicts following the recent general election and boosting governmental efficiency. On the 25th, President Je Nam plans to invite the newly appointed leadership of the Democratic Party to the Blue House for a banquet.
This will include Democratic Party Chair Kim Min Sik, Deputy Representative Han Byung Do, and key party officials. Following this, on the 28th, President Je Nam will invite all Democratic Party members to the executive office in Yangjeong-dong for a luncheon. This marks the first time since last August that the President has met with all the party's parliamentary members in a group setting.
A spokesperson for the Blue House stated that these gatherings are intended to reinforce the "firming up of the party-chancellor relationship" and "to unite in working together for the national government and the party." President Je Nam has previously hosted banquets for party leaders Kim Dae Jung, Lee Chong Rae, and Song Young Gil to address factional disputes in the party.
At these meetings, he has emphasized that "the party, government, and people form an 'unbreakable community' and 'partners in national affairs'" and urged them to "work together to make this year the 'non-replaceable year of Korea'." With the regular national assembly set to convene in September, there is also an intention to strengthen party-government unity.
The President plans to discuss an extensive list of domestic issues, including the reform of the food and drug safety system, housing supply in the metropolitan area, and amendments to the criminal procedure code. Major legislative tasks, such as the budget for next year, are expected to be on the table. Democratic Party members will attend the luncheon at the executive office on the 27th and 28th, following the completion of their preparatory work for the regular national assembly in Incheon.
The President is expected to stress the need for swift legislative processing, as the regular assembly has a reputation for slow progress. In a recent address, President Je Nam expressed his delight at the recent passage of the "fast-track (speedy processing of bills) bill," which reduced the time for national assembly hearings from a maximum of 330 days to 90 days.
Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
