President Lee to Meet Jeong Cheong-rae and Jang Dong-hyeok on April 7 for Ruling-Opposition-Government Economic Talks

According to The Financial News, President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea will hold a meeting of the Ruling-Opposition-Government Consultative Body on People’s Livelihood and the Economy on April 7 with DPK leader Jeong Cheong-rae, PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok, and others.
Hong Ihk-pyo, senior presidential secretary for political affairs at Cheong Wa Dae, stated at a briefing at the Chunchugwan Press Center at the Blue House on the 3rd, "President Lee Jae-myung is pursuing a meeting of the Ruling-Opposition-Government Consultative Body on People’s Livelihood and the Economy based on the recognition that national unity and bipartisan cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties are necessary to actively respond to the economic crisis caused by the Middle East war and the growing uncertainty in the international situation."
He went on to explain, "This meeting is scheduled to take place at 11:30 a.m. on the 7th at Cheong Wa Dae, in the form of a luncheon."
Participants will include DPK leader Jeong Cheong-rae and floor leader Han Byung-do, as well as PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok and floor leader Song Eon-seok. From the government side, Kim Min-seok, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, will attend, and from Cheong Wa Dae, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and senior secretary Hong Ihk-pyo will take part.
Asked about the background to the meeting, Hong Ihk-pyo said, "The national economic crisis stemming from the Middle East war is deepening by the day. In this process, what has become most important is social unity and bipartisan cooperation to overcome the national crisis," adding, "From that perspective, the proposal for this Ruling-Opposition-Government consultative body was made. Previously, floor leader Song had made a similar suggestion, and taking various circumstances into account, the president decided to put forward this proposal."
Regarding the agenda for the talks, he noted, "Key topics will include the domestic economic crisis caused by the Middle East war and responses to uncertainty in the international situation. However, because this is a meeting between the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties and the president, there will be no restrictions on the agenda. I expect the discussions to proceed freely."

cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter