Lee invited the three leaders to a luncheon meeting. He said excessive conflict between the ruling and opposition parties is undesirable and expressed a willingness to cooperate through dialogue. At the meeting, the three leaders shook hands with smiles on their faces.
However, Chung, in a speech at the National Assembly plenary session on the 9th, said that the country was thrown into chaos by the declaration of "emergency martial law" by former President Yoon Seok-yeol in December last year, and that he had been a supporter of the government at the time.
He once again demanded reflection and an apology from the People Power Party, which was the party, and reiterated his position that "there will be no cooperation without an apology."
The People's Power Party reacted negatively. It will likely take some time to build a cooperative system between the ruling and opposition parties, and to achieve the "national unity" that Lee aims for.
The "emergency martial law" declared by former President Yoon in December last year is a type of martial law stipulated in the South Korean Constitution.
The President issues a decree in times of emergency, such as war, when military action is necessary, or to maintain public order. The military takes control of executive and judicial functions, and restricts freedom of speech, press, and association.
It is also recognized that, following the declaration of "emergency martial law" for the first time since democratization in 1987, armed martial law soldiers broke the glass and stormed into the National Assembly building.
In response to this situation, many citizens gathered in front of the National Diet, chanting slogans in opposition to martial law and surrounding military vehicles, causing chaos.
Yoon lifted the state of emergency in just six hours, but the declaration caused great political and social unrest.
The opposition Democratic Party of Korea and other parties accused Yoon of instigating a rebellion. Yoon was arrested and indicted on charges of instigating a rebellion, and is currently on trial. In April of this year, the Constitutional Court ruled that the constitutional provisions of the state
The South Korean government dismissed Yoon from office, citing a serious violation of the law for declaring martial law when there was no real crisis. Following this, South Korea held a presidential election in June.
During the election campaign, Lee characterized the People Power Party, which had defended former President Yoon who declared emergency martial law, as a "force of insurrection" and said that it was "trying to destroy the constitutional order."
"This election will be a trial for the forces of internal conflict that attempted to turn their guns on the people," he said. "We will create a country where military coups that point guns at the people will not be repeated."
Since Yoon was impeached, the division between progressives and conservatives has deepened, and he became president.
Lee expressed his intention to overcome the conflict and aim for national unity. The Democratic Party of Korea, which became the ruling party after the presidential election, elected Chung Chung-rae as its new leader last month. Chung has been a vocal supporter of Yoon's impeachment.
In his speech after his election, he stated that "the forces of internal rebellion" involved in Yoon's "emergency martial law" must be "thoroughly condemned," demonstrating his stance of confrontation with the "People Power Party."
The People Power Party also elected a new leader last month. Jang Dong-hyuk, who opposed Yoon's impeachment, was appointed. Jang said, "We will unite with all right-wing citizens to bring down the Lee Jae-myung administration," and
As the fierce conflict between the ruling and opposition parties continues, President Lee invited Chung and Chang to his office on the 8th of this month for a luncheon meeting.
"We must also listen to the opinions of the people. We will make efforts to ensure that the voices of all citizens are fairly reflected in national politics," he said. "It is undesirable for the ruling and opposition parties to be in excessive conflict, causing concern among the public."
He then suggested that "it would be a good idea for the ruling and opposition parties to find areas where they can accept each other and boldly work together to implement common pledges." At the meeting, the three were seen smiling and shaking hands.
Public broadcaster KBS reported that "the ruling and opposition parties, which have been at odds over the impeachment of former President Yoon, have shown their willingness to come to an agreement toward unity."
However, Chung of the Democratic Party of Korea gave a speech at the National Assembly plenary session on the following day, the 9th, and called on the People Power Party to
In connection with the former president's declaration of "emergency martial law," they demanded a break with the rebel forces and a genuine apology. They reiterated their position that "there will be no cooperation without an apology."
At a meeting between President Jae-in and representatives of the ruling and opposition parties, President Lee urged cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties, saying, "The ruling party, which has more seats, must make concessions." However, Chung launched an offensive against the People Power Party.
According to Yonhap, Chung did not mention cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties once in his speech. Meanwhile, the People Power Party said Chung had called the party a "rebellious party."
The conflict between the ruling and opposition parties remains intense, and it appears that Lee's path to realizing his goal of a truly popular government will be a thorny one.
2025/09/17 14:00 KST
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