Meeting between Pres. Yoon and ruling and opposition party leaders unlikely

In the aftermath of the controversial South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s use of insulting words during his overseas tour, a meeting planned by the presidential office between him and the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties is unlikely to take place.

“The floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea made a mockery of President Yoon in the global community with an unconfirmed accusation. The major opposition party is also showing off its power to the public by proposing to dismiss Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin,” said a senior member of the presidential office during a phone interview with The Dong-A Ilbo on Wednesday. “A meeting between the president and ruling and opposition party leadership is unlikely under the circumstances.” Such a meeting is possible when each side shows a minimum level of trust and respect for each other, which is not the case at the moment.

The presidential office initially planned to hold a multilateral meeting by inviting the leadership of the ruling and opposition parties, including the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Lee Jae-myung, after President Yoon returned to South Korea. It was supposed to be a counter proposal for Lee’s repeated request for a meeting with the president and an opportunity for the president to report on results from his trip to the leadership and ask for bipartisan cooperation. However, such a plan has been dismissed as conflicts between the two parties are intensifying to the point that the Democratic Party even calls the president’s tour a “diplomatic disaster.”


Su-Young Hong gaea@donga.com