President Park Geun-hye will meet leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties after her speech at the parliament on Wednesday, her office said Sunday.
“President Park will invite chairmen, floor leaders and senior policy coordinators of the ruling and the opposition party for a meeting on 29th (this month) after delivering her speech on (the government’s) budget plan for the year 2015,” presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook told reporters.
Min, however, declined to comment further on how the meeting was arranged. But the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy later told reporters that it was Cheong Wa Dae which offered the meeting. The issues to be discussed at the meeting will include a wide range of issues such as the government’s budget plans and other contentious issues such as the controversial Sewol bill, said NPAD spokeswoman Rep. Park Soo-hyun.
President Park’s offer to meet the political leaders came amid escalating conflicts between her and the ruling Saenuri party over an attempt to open a discussion on constitutional revision.
Constitutional amendment is a highly sensitive issue in Korea, as it envisions a coalition government structure in which a president and chancellor share powers. Rep. Park of NPAD, however, said the issue on constitutional change won’t be discussed at the meeting.
By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)
