DP hard-liners urge party chief to ask tough questions during Yoon talks

Empowered by their landslide victory in the recent general election, hardline voices within the liberal Democratic Party (DP) are calling on leader Lee Jae-myung to raise contentious issues during his proposed meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, speaks at a luncheon held for outgoing People Power Party lawmakers at the Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Wednesday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Empowered by their landslide victory in the recent general election, hard-line voices within the liberal Democratic Party (DP) are calling on leader Lee Jae-myung to raise contentious issues during his proposed meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol.

On Wednesday, six-term DP lawmaker and former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae called on Lee to address various suspicions surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee in talks with Yoon, who in the past has vetoed the liberal party’s attempts to establish special counsel probes into Kim’s affairs.

Choo, who as justice minister repeatedly clashed with Yoon when he was prosecutor general, said in a local radio interview that the DP won the election by urging voters to pass judgment against the Yoon administration for its alleged wrongdoings and argued the party leader should mention them in his first meeting with the president.

Over the past two years, the DP has criticized the government for its handling of the deadly Itaewon crowd crush that occurred in October 2022, the first lady’s acceptance of a luxury Dior bag from a Korean American pastor, her alleged involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme, the alleged rerouting of a Yangpyeong motorway to pass over land owned by her family and former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup’s alleged attempts to interfere into an official probe into the drowning of a young Marine during a rescue operation.

However, others in the DP, such as floor leader Hong Ihk-pyo, have said that a meeting between Yoon and Lee should aim to “build trust” between the bitter political rivals, who ran against each other in the presidential election held two years ago.

“Their meeting should be considered a success if they come closer to understanding each other’s perspectives after sitting down face-to-face,” Hong said, adding that the pair would likely “find more common ground if they meet several times.”

Rep. Jung Sung-ho, considered a close ally of Lee, also expressed hope that the meeting “would pave the way for a more trusting relationship” between the president and the DP leader.

It remains unclear when Yoon and Lee will meet, given that both sides have not yet agreed on the agenda for their talks.

On Wednesday, the president held a closed-door luncheon at the Blue House for 50 outgoing lawmakers from the conservative People Power Party (PPP) to thank them for their service to the country.

The attendees were PPP members of the current 21st National Assembly who were either not nominated again by the party or lost their seats in the April 10 general election.

According to presidential spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung, the president referred to the lawmakers and himself as “a community sharing the same political fate and responsibility for people’s livelihoods and the country’s future” and asked for their input as to how he could better manage state affairs.

Rep. Suh Byung-soo said the PPP should work to become a more inclusive party to attract politically moderate voters, while Rep. Tae Young-ho said the government should revisit its policy of granting citizenship only to children born to Korean parents in light of the country’s low birth rate.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]