President Yoon Suk-yeol(R) and the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Lee Jae-myung shake hands before their meeting at the Yongsan presidential office on April 29. This is the first time Yoon has met with the leader of the main opposition party to discuss issues since taking office. Presidential Office Photo Press Corps

President Yoon Suk-yeol and the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Lee Jae-myung met on April 29 to discuss pending issues related to people's livelihood and political affairs, but the meeting only ended with the differences on them. They agreed on medical reform, expanding communication, and focusing on people‘s livelihood, but remained apart on specific issues. “It was frustrating and disappointing,” Lee said after the meeting. The meaning of “the first step in cooperation” seems to have faded and the confrontation is expected to intensify.

Yoon and Lee met for 135 minutes at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul in the afternoon. It was the first time the president has met with the main opposition party leader since taking office, 720 days into his presidency.

“Please feel free to say whatever you want to say,” Yoon said in his opening remarks. In his 10 pages opening statement, Lee called for a change in the direction of state affairs, saying, “The will of the people expressed in the recent general election is a stern order to correct the failed management of state affairs.”

The talks lasted well over an hour, but no agreement was reached. Yoon reacted negatively to most of Lee’s proposals in his opening remarks.

“Considering the impact on prices, interest rates, and financial conditions, it is preferable to support those in need more effectively at this time,” Yoon said, referring to 250,000 won worth of a national livelihood recovery subsidy, which the DPK has put at the top of the agenda. Lee asked him to “make a direct decision,” but Yoon stood his ground, the main opposition party said.

They also confirmed only differences in their positions over a special bill on investigating Itaewon crowd crush, and a special counsel investigation bill for the death of Marine Corporal Chae Su-geun and for First Lady Kim Keon-hee.

“I request that you actively accept the special counsel investigation bill for Marine Corporal Chae and the special bill to investigate Itaewon Tragedy,” Lee said, adding, “I hope that you will also resolve the various suspicions of those around you, such as your family members, which are weighing heavily on national affairs.” In response, Yoon said, “There are legal issues with the bills, (which are submitted to the National Assembly,) so it would be good if we can discuss them again later after resolving the issues. If we do so, I will not oppose it unconditionally.” Opposition parties believe that Yoon has virtually “vetoed” the special law on Itaewon tragedy. Yoon did not express his position on the two special counsel investigation laws.

Lee expressed a negative position on a consultative body consisting of the ruling and opposition parties and the government, which was proposed by Yoon. “The National Assembly is a place where various bills and current issues are being discussed and the consultative body can be used as a means of blame-shifting,” Lee said.

However, Yoon and Lee “generally and from a broader viewpoint” agreed on medical reform, the need to expand communication and improve people’s livelihoods, said Lee Do-woon, senior presidential secretary for public relations.

“DPK leader Lee said, ‘medical reform is an urgent task and the president‘s policy direction is right. The DPK would also cooperate,’” Secretary Lee said at a briefing. “The president and Lee agreed to meet each other often in the future.”

He also added, “They also agreed that people’s livelihoods are the most important political and policy issue. But they also confirmed that there are policy differences and disagreements on how to improve people‘s livelihoods.”

After their first meeting, the DPK leader said, “It was frustrating and disappointing. But I think it’s meaningful that we opened the first chapter of communication.” DPK spokesman Park Sung-joon said in a briefing, “We had high expectations for the talk, but we couldn‘t see any changes. There seemed to be no willingness to change the direction of national affairs.”

The meeting was held in the form of a tea party in which three representatives from each side were present. The meeting between the president and the leader of the main opposition party is the first in about six years since the one between President Moon Jae-in and Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo in April 2018.