President Moon weighs establishing 'Political Affairs Minister'... "No delays in July launch of Corruption Investigation Office" (Comprehensive)

Kim Tae-nyeon and Joo Ho-young Floor Leaders Meet for Lunch at Cheongwadae Sangchunjae... Emphasizing 'Cooperation' in a Warm Atmosphere

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "Both Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the United Future Party, are people who value dialogue and negotiation, so expectations are high." On the afternoon of the 28th, President Moon Jae-in did not hide his expectations for 'cooperation' during a luncheon meeting with the ruling and opposition floor leaders held at Sangchunjae, Cheong Wa Dae.

President Moon also gave weight to the issue of establishing a 'Minister of Political Affairs,' proposed by Floor Leader Joo, by instructing Chief of Staff Noh Young-min to discuss it. A notable point was President Moon emphasizing his connection with Floor Leader Joo in the National Assembly. President Moon said, "Floor Leader Joo and I were colleagues on the National Defense Committee during our time as members of the National Assembly, and I saw many rational aspects in him."

Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Min-seok conveyed, "(President Moon) said the easy way to cooperation is for the president and the ruling and opposition parties to meet frequently, and that meeting without any formalities is a good first step." President Moon's effort to broaden communication with the opposition floor leader on this day was because, ahead of the inauguration of the 21st National Assembly on the 30th, discovering a cooperation model suitable for the changed political environment became important.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon highly evaluated Floor Leader Joo's attendance at the May 18th Memorial Ceremony and the memorial service for former President Roh Moo-hyun, emphasizing efforts for cooperation. President Moon said, "In the past, when things did not go well, meetings were held to solve problems, so meeting itself was not easy. Going forward, it is important to meet regularly to discuss current issues when they arise, and even when there are no issues, to meet and talk about the political situation."

This emphasized the progressive succession of the permanent consultative body between the ruling party, opposition, and government. During a walk after the luncheon meeting, President Moon stressed the importance of the National Assembly opening on a normal date and told Floor Leader Kim, "If the National Assembly opens on time and bills are processed on time, I will carry you on my back."

President Moon explained that once the 'COVID-19' situation ends, future competition will ultimately become important, and political forces that practice cooperation and integration will receive the people's choice.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding current issues, President Moon urged the prompt passage of the third supplementary budget and employment-related bills. In particular, President Moon emphasized the importance of the Public Officials Corruption Investigation Unit (PCCIU), scheduled to launch in July, and urged that there be no setbacks.

A senior Cheong Wa Dae official said, "(Regarding the operation of the permanent consultative body between the ruling and opposition parties) it was not announced in the form of an agreement. It is expected that the floor leaders will continue to have conversations going forward."

Meanwhile, Floor Leader Joo mentioned the Justice Party-related incident during this meeting, but President Moon is known to have refrained from commenting. A senior Cheong Wa Dae official explained, "There was no direct mention related to the Justice Party incident."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.