President Lee Jae-myung meets with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties for the first time on the 22nd - Cooperation or a power struggle?

First Meeting Between President Lee Jae-myung and the Leaders of Political Parties

On June 22, 2025, President Lee Jae-myung is scheduled to invite the leaders of both parties to the presidential residence for his first official luncheon meeting. This marks the first face-to-face communication opportunity with party representatives since his inauguration and is attracting significant attention both inside and outside the political arena. This meeting is expected to go beyond simple greetings or ceremonial encounters and serve as an occasion to address critical national issues such as the composition of the National Assembly, the review of the supplementary budget, and the approval of the Prime Minister. Politics is the art of distributing and adjusting power. Particularly, as the "first meeting" that could break the deadlock at the beginning of national governance, this luncheon holds both symbolic and practical significance. Whether it can serve as a turning point for cooperation or remain merely a competition for political justification is still uncertain. However, it is clear that the "face of politics" that both parties will show at this meeting will be revealed at the intersection of people's livelihoods, power, and governance.

National Assembly Formation: Negotiation or Struggle for Control

The National Assembly's standing committees are a structural pillar that enables the actual operation of the legislative body. Among them, the Legislative and Judiciary Committee (Legislative Committee) and the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts (Budget Committee) are key committees that oversee legislation and budgeting, making them points of inevitable sharp political conflict. The 'composition negotiation' that is emerging as a core agenda in this luncheon is understood as part of a power struggle that will influence the future political landscape, going beyond simple seat allocation. The ruling party, the Democratic Party of Korea, is asserting its stance to secure key standing committee chairs based on the 'majority party principle.' In contrast, the People Power Party is prioritizing 'power checks' as its main justification, particularly refusing to back down regarding the position of the Legislative Committee chair. The 'right to delay bill review' of the Legislative Committee is a means that can impede the ruling party's legislative momentum, meaning that the confrontation over this position carries both political symbolism and practical benefits. The opposition's strategy is also aligned with the intent to secure political balance in the early stages of the administration and to build a justification leading up to the next general election. However, such a check-centered operation of the National Assembly could decrease legislative productivity and, in the long term, carries the risk of undermining political trust.

Supplementary Budget Review: Conflict Between Prioritizing Livelihood and Fiscal Responsibility

The Lee Jae-myung government submitted a supplementary budget proposal of approximately 30 trillion won to the National Assembly, framing it under the concept of 'prioritizing people's livelihoods.' This supplementary budget, which includes various policy tasks such as youth employment, stabilization of ordinary people's lives, and balanced regional development, is evaluated as the first major policy reflecting the government's national governance philosophy. The ruling party defines this not merely as an economic stimulus measure but as a necessary step for improving the quality of life, urging for prompt processing. However, the People Power Party has raised criticism stating that this supplementary budget has a strong populist character. They particularly point out the lack of specificity in funding sources and the inclusion of many budget items with a 'political handout' nature, raising suspicions that the proposal is designed with political benefits in mind. One side advocates for urgent humanitarian needs, while the other emphasizes fiscal sustainability and responsibility, indicating that political decisions beyond simple exchanges of opinions are necessary to find common ground. It remains uncertain whether a luncheon meeting can serve as a breakthrough to narrow the gap between both sides, and the likelihood is difficult to assess at this point. However, if political strife takes precedence even in discussions about people's livelihoods, public disappointment is bound to deepen.

Prime Minister Confirmation: On the Border of Verification and Offensive

The confirmation issue regarding Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok may also be discussed at this meeting. Candidate Kim has become a focal point for intense scrutiny from the People Power Party due to past political activities, controversies over qualifications, and debates related to graduate school lectures. However, the suspicions that have emerged so far largely fall within already public categories, and there is a prevailing outlook that securing the required number of votes for confirmation will not be a major challenge if support from the Democratic Party and some centrist independent lawmakers is added. Hence, the opposition's resistance is interpreted more as a strategic move to challenge the morality and public nature of the Yoon Suk-yeol government rather than an effort to effectively block the confirmation. Therefore, the confirmation of the Prime Minister is likely to serve more as a backdrop for shaping the political climate rather than being a major point of conflict during the meeting.

Politics on the Dining Table: A Moment to Gauge the Resilience of Politics

In politics, "sharing a meal together" holds significance beyond mere etiquette. The dining table can sometimes coordinate more and build more trust than a meeting room. This luncheon serves as an important test in that regard. Whether positions surrounding people's livelihoods, power, and national governance can find common ground at the table will reflect a facet of the resilience of Korean politics. This meeting could either be a starting point for cooperation or be consumed as another political event. Cooperation is completed through coordinating positions and executing decisions, not just through exchanging words. If genuine consensus for the people can take root at the table during the luncheon, this occasion will be remembered not merely as a political event, but as a mature moment for democracy. Politics fundamentally operates on the premise of "difference." When we recognize that difference and manage to draw at least minimal consensus in front of the common denominator of the people, politics truly gains resilience. I hope this luncheon will serve as a demonstration of that potential for resilience.