Over Ten Days of Deadlock... What Is the Issue in the Meeting Between Kim Gi-hyeon and Lee Jae-myung?

Agreement Reached on TV Debate, but Ruling and Opposition Parties Differ
Ruling Party Insists on Private Meeting, Opposition Demands Public Meeting

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, have reached a consensus on the meeting itself but are running parallel lines over the details, intertwined with political reasons.

Leader Kim insisted on having a private meeting before a public debate, while Leader Lee took the position that there is no need for a private meeting. Initially, the two leaders agreed on the TV debate format, raising expectations that the meeting would be arranged quickly, but for more than ten days, they have failed to narrow their differences over the meeting method.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 7th, at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Leader Lee said, "We keep talking about the (meeting) format, and weeks have passed over this issue," urging, "This afternoon would be fine. Let's have an open and sincere conversation with just a chair and a desk placed in the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly, where everyone can see."

Leader Lee added, "There may be things to discuss secretly between the heads of the ruling and opposition parties, but the public is facing difficult times, and there are no special issues or tasks to be resolved. Meeting privately out of the public eye just to show an effort is hard to agree with," rejecting again the private meeting proposed by the People Power Party.

In response, Leader Kim said at a meeting with reporters that day, "It's frustrating because they keep wanting to argue instead of having a conversation." He reiterated his call for a public debate based on a private meeting, saying, "We are debating, but I am saying that a separate occasion is needed for the ruling and opposition parties to discuss national issues."

The reason Leader Kim insists on a private meeting is his concern that if only a public debate is held, it may end with just showing the ruling and opposition parties arguing. He believes that due to the nature of a public debate format, it could escalate into a dispute rather than a dialogue. In a situation where cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties is said to be missing, it is burdensome if the occasion prepared for dialogue becomes a space for political strife.

From Leader Lee's standpoint, a public debate could be advantageous. Not only is he skilled in debates, but he can also highlight the opposition party's presence through criticism of the government and ruling party. Furthermore, the meeting between the heads of the ruling and opposition parties is an opportunity to shift the issue amid the Democratic Party's successive setbacks, such as the party convention cash envelope scandal, the Kim Nam-guk lawmaker coin incident, and the controversy over the resignation of Innovation Committee Chair Lee Rae-kyung.

As the ruling and opposition parties continue their tug-of-war over the method of the leaders' meeting, doubts are growing about whether the meeting between Leader Kim and Leader Lee will be arranged anytime soon.

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