2024-08-01 12:17:49
Regarding the ’90-minute private meeting on the 30th’
Office of the President: “Embrace the People”
Korean side: “Let the party take care of its own business”
Jeong Jeong-sik: “I am still the policy committee chairman”
President Yoon Seok-yeol and People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon are seen holding hands and talking at a dinner for new leadership held at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 24th. The two met privately for about an hour and a half at the presidential office in Yongsan on the 30th at the request of leader Han. Courtesy of the presidential office
Regarding the 90-minute private meeting between President Yoon Seok-yeol and People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon the previous day (the 30th of last month), the Yongsan presidential office and Han’s side emphasized on the 31st that “they will meet often” and that it was a meeting that would create synergy in cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties, but they placed emphasis on different parts of the meeting’s core messages. The Yongsan presidential office emphasized that President Yoon said, “Now that you have become the party leader, it is important to broadly embrace everyone and make one leader.” On the other hand, Park Jung-ha, the chief of staff to the People Power Party leader, emphasized that “the party’s work can be done well if the party leader takes responsibility for it.” There is an interpretation that this is a symbolic display of their differences in perspective, with the presidential office interpreting President Yoon’s message as “embrace people,” while Han’s side interpreted it as “the leader should be the center.”
Regarding the reorganization of the party, including the fate of the key policy committee chairman Jeong Jeom-sik, who was showing signs of a pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) – pro-Han (pro-Han Dong-hoon) ‘power game’ within the party, President Yoon stated, “The party leader should take care of it,” while Representative Han’s side immediately demanded the resignation of all party officials over whom the leader has the power to appoint. The pro-Yoon camp is complaining, saying, “Isn’t that what the president meant when he said, ‘Embrace me’?” and within the party, there is an outlook that “we will have to wait and see whether the two will develop a solid strategic partnership.”
● “Inclusion is important” vs “Party leader-centered”
The meeting between the two after six days was made at the request of Representative Han. On the 24th, President Yoon and Representative Han had a pork belly dinner with the new ruling party leadership and primary candidates at the Presidential Office in Yongsan. However, Representative Han judged that it would be difficult for the president and the party leader to have an in-depth conversation due to the large number of attendees, so he requested a separate meeting, and it is reported that President Yoon accepted this.
On that day, a presidential office official said that President Yoon advised Representative Han, “In politics, it is important to create your own people.” Representative Han reportedly responded, “Don’t worry, I will do well.” This is interpreted as an indirect check on the pro-Yoon faction, which gained the leadership of the party with an overwhelming victory, by asking for reconciliation with the pro-Yoon faction, which is raising critical voices toward the pro-Yoon faction. President Yoon is also said to have talked a lot about his time as a prosecutor.
On the other hand, Chief of Staff Park met with reporters at the National Assembly and emphasized, “The leader heard (from the president) that ‘the party’s work should be taken care of by the leader. In the process, listen carefully to various opinions. ’” A key source on Han’s side said, “The key is that the party leader should do it his own way,” and “We must live up to the overwhelming support of over 62% of both the party and the public.” The pro-Han faction believes that the horizontal party-government relationship that Han emphasized is taking shape, such as the establishment of the Second Office of the Presidential Office that Han had insisted on, and direct communication with the president.
● The Korean side’s final ultimatum of “resignation of all party members”
In the previous day’s meeting, President Yoon said regarding the reorganization of party officials, “The party leader should take care of it.” It is reported that Representative Han met separately with Chief of Staff to the President Jeong Jin-seok, who was present at the meeting, in the evening and discussed the replacement of Chairman Jeong.
The party leadership then moved quickly. After meeting with Representative Han in the afternoon, Secretary General Seo Beom-soo said, “As the Secretary General, I would like to ask the party leaders to collectively resign from the party officials over whom the party leader has the power to appoint and dismiss,” and gave an ultimatum, saying, “Shouldn’t we receive a collective resignation letter and then make a personnel decision?” Representative Han met briefly with Chairman Chung at the party headquarters that day.
However, a lawmaker close to Yoon said, “The party leader should take the leadership of unification,” and “If the issue of future plans is escalated, the leader’s room for maneuver will be limited.” An official from the Blue House also said, “I don’t know if there is a need to change Speaker Chung.” After meeting with floor leader Choo Kyung-ho in the morning without mentioning his future plans, Speaker Chung met with reporters and answered the question, “Have you discussed the selection of the next policy committee chair?” by saying, “I am still the policy committee chair.” A party official said, “We need to reach a conclusion quickly before it becomes a spark for conflict within the ruling party in the future.”
Reporter Kim Jun-il [email protected]
Reporter Shin Na-ri [email protected]
Reporter Cho Kwon-hyung [email protected]
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2024-08-01 12:17:49