Kim Ki-hyun and Lee Jae-myung's First Meeting, United Voices on 'Livelihood Economy'

Meeting of Two Party Leaders on the 15th
Kim: "Let's Solve the Pressing Livelihood Issues Together"
Lee: "Let's Frequently Put Our Heads Together and Find Solutions"

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, held their first meeting on the 15th and pledged to cooperate to resolve the 'livelihood economy' issues. The two party leaders agreed that they should meet frequently for inter-party cooperation and actively engage in dialogue and compromise to solve livelihood problems.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On this day, Kim said at the National Assembly, during his first visit to Lee, the leader of the main opposition party since his inauguration, "It is true that the values and directions pursued by the two parties are different, but we share the same ultimate goal of protecting the livelihood of the people and strengthening the nation," adding, "We will uphold the principles of dialogue and compromise to dispel the public's concerns that the ruling and opposition parties are fiercely confrontational."

He continued, "There are currently contentious bills and bills requiring political judgment, but even if we put those aside, I hope we can expedite the passage of bills on less contentious issues first."

Lee also responded, saying, "We also believe that taking care of the people's livelihood is the most important role of politics," and added, "Recently, due to the economic situation, people's lives have become very difficult, so regardless of party positions, I hope the ruling and opposition parties will frequently come together seriously to find urgent improvement measures to enhance people's lives."

He further proposed a 'Common Pledge Promotion Team' to the ruling party, saying, "I think we should actively cooperate whenever the government or ruling party presents agendas or policies that are not regressive or wrong but aim to create a better life for the people."

Lee said, "I am reiterating the suggestion that we swiftly legislate and implement policies that both parties have commonly promised to the people while Kim is here."

It is known that during the subsequent closed-door meeting, opinions were also exchanged on easing corporate regulations and reforming the working hours system.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Ahn Ho-young, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party, told reporters after the meeting, "Kim said that regulations related to corporate investment and the economy should be eased," and added, "Lee said that unreasonable regulations should obviously be resolved, but necessary regulations related to public safety and life should be strengthened."

The two party leaders agreed to continue meeting frequently to increase common ground.

Chief spokesperson Ahn explained, "Kim expressed the hope that the ruling and opposition leaders meet often, and Lee agreed that they should meet frequently for cooperation between the parties for the sake of the people's livelihood," adding, "The atmosphere was warm in the spirit of meeting often."

It appears that the Common Pledge Promotion Team proposed by Lee will be discussed in depth later.

Chief spokesperson Ahn said, "Since a policy committee will also need to be formed, related discussions will be held gradually in the future."

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