청 "Kim Jong-in's 'Talk with the President' Position is Fortunate... Let's Start Consultations"

Choi Jae-sung, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporters Son Seon-hee, Kim Dong-pyo] The Blue House stated on the 18th, "It is very fortunate that Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the Future United Party, expressed that he 'can have a conversation with the President,'" adding, "We hope that frank discussions on the format and content will begin."

Choi Jae-sung, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House, held a briefing at the press center in the afternoon and said about Chairman Kim, "He sincerely wants to make efforts to give hope to the people during difficult times."

However, there remains a significant gap between both sides regarding the actual realization of a meeting between President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties. Earlier that day, Chairman Kim indicated openness to meeting President Moon but insisted that he would only agree to a one-on-one (1:1) 'private meeting.'

In response, a senior Blue House official told reporters, "There is precedent for holding representative meetings with the President, and other parties have their positions," showing a negative stance. However, the official added, "The intention is to discuss the format and content openly, including the scope of attendance."

There is no indication that the Blue House and the opposition party have exchanged substantive opinions to arrange the meeting. When asked whether Chairman Kim’s side’s willingness to 'engage in dialogue' had been conveyed to the Blue House, the official said, "Since it was an interview given to the media, it can be considered as conveyed," adding, "There was no separate communication from Chairman Kim."

Initially, the Blue House reportedly reached out to the ruling and opposition parties to gauge willingness for a meeting on the 21st. Since Chairman Kim’s side has stated that the schedule is not possible, even if further opinion exchanges occur, the timing is expected to be adjusted. The Blue House said, "Since Chairman Kim’s side has said it is not possible, it seems difficult to reconsider the 21st."

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