President Park Geun-hye on Thursday asked new leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party to work with her to revive South Korea’s economy and push ahead with reform.
Park made the comments as she met with the party’s new leaders at Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea’s presidential office, in a move that could set the tone for their relations after tension over a controversial bill.
The meeting came two days after Won Yoo-chul, a four-term lawmaker, and Kim Jung-hoon, a three-term lawmaker, were selected as the party’s floor leader and chief policymaker, respectively.
Party leader Kim Moo-sung retains his job.
They could discuss a wide range of issues, including Park’s recent calls for special pardons, extra budget and other measures to revive the economy, presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook told reporters ahead of the meeting.
Park has instructed officials to review the scope for pardons she plans to grant in mid-August to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea’s independence from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule.
In South Korea, presidents usually grant special pardons in commemoration of major national holidays, though the practice has long been under fire for being abused to give favors to friends and business leaders jailed for corruption.
Park said she will review the party’s recommendation to issue special pardons to not only those convicted of minor economic crimes but also business tycoons, according to Saenuri leader Kim after the meeting.
The party leaders had said that massive special pardons are needed, and asked that both those who committed petty crimes in the course of trying to make a living and convicted business moguls and politicians be evaluated as beneficiaries of the special pardons.
“The president said she will review the party’s recommendation,” Kim told reporters.
Park had been critical of issuing special pardons recklessly and earlier promised to exercise the right in an extremely restrictive manner and refrain from issuing pardons to business tycoons or high-profile politicians.
Park has repeatedly pressed the National Assembly to pass an 11.8 trillion-won ($10.49 billion) extra budget bill to spur consumption and investment.
The supplementary budget is part of a 22 trillion-won stimulus package unveiled by the government to help revive the faltering economy.
“We have once again reaffirmed that the extra budget is an urgent matter needed to alleviate the effects of drought and MERS, as well as stabilize the livelihoods of the people and revive the economy,” Won told reporters following the meeting.
Both the government and the ruling Saenuri Party plan to pass the extra budget by next Monday while the main opposition opposes.
Park also held a separate meeting with Kim.
When asked by reporters about the details of the meeting, Kim refused to comment, saying that the two “mainly discussed other issues.”
The meeting is the latest move to repair soured relations between Park and the ruling party over a bill that would have given greater administrative power to the National Assembly.
Park has denounced then-floor leader Yoo Seong-min for what she called “politics of betrayal” and blamed him for giving into opposition pressure to approve the bill. Park later vetoed the bill, and Yoo quit his job. (Yonhap)
