Meeting Held After Resolving Audit Committee Issue... No 'Agenda' but Various Discussions Expected

Moon-Yoon Meeting After 19 Days
Lunch Without Attendees → Dinner With Attendees Present

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] With President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol meeting 19 days after the election, attention is also focused on the reasons why their meeting had been delayed until now. The resolution of the appointment issue of the Audit Committee member, one of the main agenda items, appears to have been the turning point that opened the door for dialogue between the two sides. Although both parties intend to have an open and frank discussion without a specific agenda, it is expected that discussions on pardons, personnel authority, and the relocation of the presidential office will naturally take place as well.

A senior Blue House official responded to a reporter’s question on the 27th about whether the Blue House’s position on the nomination of the Audit Committee member, which was conveyed to the transition team at the Board of Audit and Inspection, was a factor in making the meeting possible, saying, "I have not been briefed on the relationship between that situation and the realization of this meeting, so it is difficult to give a clear answer."

Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the President-elect, also said, "During President-elect Yoon’s 'press lounge impromptu interview,' there was talk about appointments including the Audit Committee member, but (Yoon) said that the Blue House meeting was a matter of a different dimension," adding, "I would like to reaffirm once again that President-elect Yoon has always had an open mind about the meeting."

So far, the Blue House and the transition team have been engaged in a power struggle over issues such as the pardon of former President Lee Myung-bak, the appointment of the Bank of Korea governor and Audit Committee members, and the relocation of the presidential office. In particular, there was even a 'battle of truths' between senior officials over the appointment of the Bank of Korea governor and Audit Committee members.

Meanwhile, on the 25th, the Board of Audit and Inspection, during a briefing to the transition team, stated that the appointment of Audit Committee members requires consultation between the current and new governments, effectively siding with President-elect Yoon. As a result, with the Audit Committee appointment issue, one of the main agenda items, effectively resolved, it is analyzed that negotiations between the two sides accelerated rapidly.

The Blue House’s explanation that Lee Cheol-hee, the senior secretary for political affairs and the Blue House’s practical negotiation partner, proposed a prompt meeting to Jang Je-won, chief of staff of the transition team, on the afternoon of the 25th, and that Lee and Jang contacted each other several times afterward, leading to an agreement for a meeting on the evening of the 26th, adds credibility to this analysis.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Also, the burden of the prolonged delay in the meeting between the old and new powers amid worsening public livelihood and rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula appears to have played a major role in making the meeting possible. Spokesperson Kim explained, "Upon receiving the contact proposal from Senior Secretary Lee, the President-elect immediately ordered continuous and speedy progress on this matter," adding, "This is to alleviate the concerns of the people regarding the difficulties they face due to COVID-19, the economic impact of the Ukraine crisis domestically, and security issues."

Although both sides emphasized a 'discussion without an agenda,' it is expected that the dinner will involve broad discussions on pardons, personnel matters, and supplementary budgets. A Blue House official said, "This meeting is a place for open and frank dialogue without a set agenda," adding, "According to the response received from the President-elect’s side, there was an agreement to 'meet without an agenda and have an open and frank conversation.'"

Spokesperson Kim also said, "I think the two will meet openly and probably proceed with consultations," but "(President-elect Yoon) has always maintained a consistent stance that for the meeting between the incumbent president and the president-elect to be meaningful to the people, there must be significant outcomes," emphasizing the importance of the dialogue’s results.

He continued, "I think that as they reach conclusions and naturally have dinner together, there will be opportunities to discuss national issues and tasks," suggesting the possibility of various agenda items being discussed.

It is also noteworthy that the meeting changed from one without attendees to one with attendees present. The canceled meeting on the 16th was a luncheon meeting without attendees, but this meeting is a dinner meeting with attendees present. Also, from the Blue House side, it is not Senior Secretary Lee, who has been conducting practical negotiations so far, but Yoo Young-min, the Chief of Staff to the President, who will attend.

A senior Blue House official said, "The attendance of Chief of Staff Yoo is a matter of courtesy to the President-elect," but refrained from commenting further on the reason for the change to a meeting with attendees present.

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