President Moon's Rapid COVID-19 Support Efforts: Will the 'Yeongsu Meeting Puzzle' Also Be Solved?

Lee Nak-yeon Opens Possibility of 1-on-1 Meeting Between President Moon and Chairman Kim Jong-in... "Conditions Not Ripe for Cooperation" Hidden Political Strategy Behind People Power Party's Distancing

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in's 'cooperation' plan has once again come under scrutiny. President Moon has ordered a 'speed race' regarding measures against the 'novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19)' and set the goal of providing support before Chuseok.

In the remaining two weeks, the National Assembly must pass the 4th supplementary budget bill in the plenary session, and government ministries must implement the already announced support execution plans to complete the challenging schedule.

The focus of attention is the 'Blue House meeting' between President Moon and the leader of the main opposition party. When the president was the head of the ruling party, meetings with the leader (head) of the main opposition party were called 'summit talks.' It was customary to resolve tangled national affairs through political negotiations at these summit talks.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Although party leadership systems have changed and the political environment has shifted, meetings between the president and the main opposition party leader still carry political symbolism comparable to summit talks. A noteworthy point is the relationship between Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Jong-in, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party. The two are said to have so-called 'political chemistry.'

They share a preference for avoiding polarized politics of progressivism and conservatism and for resolving current issues through dialogue and compromise. Lee's proposal on the 10th to meet Kim, saying "It is okay for the two of you to meet," is a point of attention. Expressing agreement to a one-on-one meeting between President Moon and Kim is a message that politics will not be bound by formalities.

Lee needs a smooth transition as the head of the ruling party. Kim must focus on restoring the image of a 'governing party.' If a grand decision is made before Chuseok, it could result in a 'political win-win.' However, the perceptions of the Blue House and ruling party, which bear unlimited responsibility for state affairs, and the opposition party, whose primary task is regime change, cannot be the same. This means the opposition party needs political justification when it moves.

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Jong-in, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, are attending the luncheon meeting hosted by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok for the leaders of negotiation groups at Sarangjae in the National Assembly on the 10th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Kim's drawing a line by saying "the conditions for cooperation are not met" in response to Lee's proposal is for this reason. Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the People Power Party, said, "If issues are not resolved, the tense relationship between the ruling and opposition parties will inevitably continue," and added, "This can be interpreted as relating to the original composition, including the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee."

It is highly unlikely that the Blue House and ruling party will agree to give the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to the opposition party. Without providing political justification to the opposition party, it is questionable whether the 4th supplementary budget bill will be smoothly processed. The opposition party also needs to adjust its political stance considering the difficulties in the people's livelihood economy caused by COVID-19. All of the Blue House, ruling party, and opposition party must make choices considering a political environment different from the past.

The Blue House is putting effort into preparatory work separately from the National Assembly discussions. President Moon has urged related ministries to be prepared in advance so that support can be provided immediately once the supplementary budget is passed. Kang Min-seok, Blue House spokesperson, said, "In a closed discussion at the Emergency Economic Meeting, the word 'speed' was used five times, emphasizing rapid disbursement."

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