Kim Hyung-o "Ruling and opposition leaders must meet first... Waiting for Lee Jae-myung's response"

"Journalists Today Have Stronger Self-Assertions Than Journalists in the Past"

Senior political figures from both ruling and opposition parties are pushing for a meeting between Kim Gi-hyeon, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party. Kim Hyung-o, a senior ruling party figure and former Speaker of the National Assembly, stated that "the ruling and opposition parties are not even meeting or communicating, and the situation is currently tense. The president should take the initiative to meet first; this is not about various conditions or situations," emphasizing that a meeting between the party leaders should take priority.

On the 23rd, Kim Hyung-o said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs,' "It is inappropriate for the president to meet Lee Jae-myung at this time for various reasons."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Hyung-o is a member of the 'March Association,' which was launched on Constitution Day and consists of senior figures from both ruling and opposition parties. This group, led by Shin Young-kyun, senior advisor of the People Power Party, and Kwon No-gap, senior advisor of the Democratic Party, includes former Speakers of the National Assembly such as Jeong Dae-cheol, Kim Won-ki, Im Chae-jung, Park Hee-tae, Kang Chang-hee, Jeong Ui-hwa, Jeong Se-gyun, and Moon Hee-sang, alongside Kim Hyung-o. The March Association held a luncheon on the 21st and decided to arrange a meeting between the party leaders.

Kim Gi-hyeon's side is reportedly open to the meeting. Kim Hyung-o said, "I have been in contact with Kim Gi-hyeon's side, and as before, their attitude is open, so I have received confirmation that they will attend. However, we are still waiting for a response from Lee Jae-myung's side." Lee Jae-myung is being contacted directly by Jeong Dae-cheol, the chairman of the Constitutional Association.

Kim Hyung-o diagnosed the current political climate as moving toward extreme polarization. He expressed concern, saying, "The current problem is extreme politics. Political polarization has never been this severe. It's no longer just 'your side or my side'; if you are not on my side, you are the enemy. Even in war, this should not happen, but politics is now being conducted like a war."

He also pointed out the media's responsibility for political polarization. He said, "(The public) completely ignores politics. The media cannot be absolved of responsibility here either." He added, "I have worked briefly in the media, but reporting and writing with a predetermined mindset must end. Journalists today have much stronger personal biases than those in the past," criticizing the media.

Regarding voices within the ruling party calling for embracing former leader Lee Jun-seok and former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min ahead of the general election, he said, "We must embrace them, but the word 'embrace' carries a subtle nuance. We tend to say 'embrace no matter what,' but we need the wisdom to distinguish between the good and the bad."

He also warned against presidential interference in candidate selection. He said, "The president should not run in elections or interfere in them. Nor should the president interfere in candidate selection. The president may have someone they privately want, but excluding others will not lead to a proper election. That said, the president does not personally appoint everyone one by one."

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