Preliminary Talks for Ruling and Opposition Leaders' Meeting Hit Snags... Tensions Over Live Broadcast and Agenda

Ruling Party Chief Secretary: "No Promise to Meet with Opposition"
Ruling and Opposition Tug of War over Live Broadcast and Agenda
Park Chan-dae Demands Discussion on Livelihood Support Fund and Special Prosecutor Law for Chae Sang-byeong

With the meeting between Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, scheduled for the 25th, the tug-of-war between the two parties is intense. Before the leaders' meeting, the secretaries-general of both parties have been engaged in a heated debate over whether the meeting should be broadcast live and the agenda, causing the working-level talks to be postponed.

On the 21st, Park Jeong-ha, secretary-general for the People Power Party leader, told reporters at the National Assembly, "There was no agreement to meet yesterday, and I was unable to reach (Lee Hae-sik, secretary-general for the Democratic Party leader) by phone," stating that nothing regarding the schedule or agenda for the working-level talks has been discussed. He also denied the speculation that the working-level talks would take place that day.

Earlier, Park had told reporters at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, "If the Democratic Party agrees, I plan to propose opening the entire leaders' meeting from start to finish for live broadcast." In response, Lee's secretary-general met with reporters in front of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee hearing room and directly criticized, "Suggesting to broadcast the entire meeting live through the media as if throwing it out casually is disrespectful."

However, if the working-level talks between the secretaries-general of both parties are held, there is a possibility of quickly agreeing on whether to broadcast live and on 5 to 6 agenda items related to livelihood and political issues. Regarding the live broadcast proposal made by the People Power Party, it is pointed out that Lee has little reason to refuse. This is because when Lee proposed a meal meeting to Kim Ki-hyun, then leader of the People Power Party, in June last year, he counter-proposed a live broadcast discussion on livelihood issues. Regarding the agenda, the People Power Party plans to present items such as tax reform including the abolition of the financial investment income tax, comprehensive real estate tax, inheritance tax, support measures for low-income groups and small business owners, and the establishment of a permanent consultative body for political reform to relinquish parliamentary privileges. The Democratic Party intends to discuss the special prosecutor law for Chae Sang-byeong, the revival of local party branches, and the payment of 250,000 won in livelihood support funds.

On the same day, Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party, urged Han to discuss the livelihood support fund law during the meeting with Lee at the Supreme Council meeting. He also demanded that Han, who proposed the third-party special prosecutor law for Chae Sang-byeong, "approach the meeting with a concrete position."

Handonghun, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 21st. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

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