Yoon: "Will strive to reflect National Assembly's opinions in policy-making... Invite for dinner"

Yoon Holds Meeting with National Assembly Speaker and Standing Committee Chairs
First-Ever Standing Committee Chairs Meeting at the National Assembly
Promises Future Dialogue Opportunities... "I Will Invite You to Dinner"

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 31st that he would "make efforts to well reflect your valuable opinions in the operation of state affairs and the formulation of future government policies" in response to the demands and suggestions from Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo and the chairpersons of the standing committees. Since a cooperative atmosphere has been established in the National Assembly for the first time since President Yoon took office, this also signifies his willingness to actively cooperate with the National Assembly's requests.

President Yoon made these remarks during a meeting with the chairpersons of the standing committees held at Sarangjae in the National Assembly in the afternoon, according to a written briefing by Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office.

After delivering the policy speech, President Yoon held a meeting with Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, and the chairpersons of the 17 standing committees of the National Assembly. A National Assembly official reportedly said that it was the first time in history that a president held a meeting with the standing committee chairpersons at the National Assembly, according to the spokesperson.

The chairpersons explained the current issues in their respective fields and conveyed their suggestions to President Yoon. The president listened attentively to their proposals and even responded on the spot to some of the suggestions.

When one standing committee chairperson asked about the government's research and development (R&D) budget for next year, the president explained the reasons for adjusting R&D budget expenditures and the plan for future expansion. In his policy speech that day, President Yoon sought understanding regarding the R&D budget restructuring, stating, "Although the budget quantitatively increased significantly from around 20 trillion won to 30 trillion won over three years starting in 2019, there were many criticisms that qualitative improvement and expenditure restructuring are urgent to create future growth engines."

When another standing committee chairperson raised the issue of securing visa quotas for Korean professionals in the United States, President Yoon responded, "I have raised this issue every time I met with U.S. congressional leaders, including the leadership of both the House and Senate, and have requested the prompt passage of related legislation."

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Yoon said, "I met all the chairpersons and listened to their valuable remarks," and expressed gratitude, saying, "I thank the Speaker of the National Assembly and the chairpersons for creating this opportunity."

He continued, "My aides took notes of all the valuable comments from the chairpersons, and since I still have some memory left, I will not forget any of them and will keep them in mind to make sure your valuable opinions are well reflected in the operation of state affairs and the formulation of future government policies," emphasizing his commitment.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Speaker Kim suggested, "I think today’s occasion will be remembered as the most rewarding moment during my tenure as Speaker of the National Assembly," and proposed, "It would be good to regularize such meetings."

In response, President Yoon quoted a remark from one standing committee chairperson who said, "When we talked over a drink, there was no distinction between the ruling and opposition parties," and said, "I will invite you to dinner."

President Yoon then walked with the meeting participants to Sarangjae and had lunch together. At the start of the lunch, floor leader Hong Ik-pyo proposed a toast with the phrase, "Communication leads to all success and great fortune," and floor leader Yoon Jae-ok suggested a toast with the word "Digestive medicine," meaning that communication and harmony are the most important.

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