President Lee Jae-myung will host senior advisors of the Democratic Party of Korea at the Blue House for a luncheon meeting, seeking broad counsel on governance and key national issues including public welfare and the economy. The president is expected to hear the elders' views on "national unity" amid deepening political divisions following the first-instance verdict on former President Yoon Suk-yeol's insurrection leadership charges.
The Blue House announced on the 20th that "President Lee will invite the Democratic Party's standing advisors to the Blue House for a luncheon meeting," adding that "the specific schedule is undetermined and will be announced once confirmed."
The luncheon is expected to take place around the 25th. This will be the first meeting with the standing advisory group in approximately six months since last August. As the gathering comes immediately after the Lunar New Year holiday, it is expected to provide an opportunity for the president to hear public sentiment from the veteran politicians. This also marks the first invitation to the standing advisors since the presidential office relocated from Yongsan to the Blue House in December last year.
The luncheon discussions are expected to cover a wide range of issues, from public welfare and economic concerns such as real estate and inflation to trade matters including the Korea-U.S. tariff agreement and follow-up investments in the United States. Various recommendations are anticipated regarding the government's response to U.S. tariff pressure and communication with businesses and the National Assembly.
Inter-Korean relations and diplomatic security issues are also expected to be major topics. The government's efforts to prevent recurrence of incidents like the recent drone infiltration into North Korea are expected to receive positive assessments, with views on future North Korea policy also being solicited.
Given the first-instance verdict on former President Yoon's insurrection charges stemming from the December 3 martial law incident, observers expect the gathering to pool wisdom on moving toward "national unity" beyond "settling accounts with insurrection." Calls for political restoration may emerge amid the extreme confrontation between ruling and opposition parties, particularly after the planned luncheon between President Lee and party leaders on the 12th before the holiday fell through. Additionally, political issues such as follow-up legislation on judicial reform may be on the table.
Most members of the standing advisory group are expected to attend the Blue House luncheon. The Democratic Party's standing advisors include prominent elder statesmen of the democratic camp: Kwon Roh-gap, chairman of the Kim Dae-jung Foundation; former National Assembly speakers Kim Won-ki, Lim Chae-jung, Chung Sye-kyun, Moon Hee-sang, Park Byeong-seug, and Kim Jin-pyo; former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young; and former lawmaker Lee Yong-deuk, a former chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions.
At last year's luncheon, most advisory members attended, including the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan. At that time, the standing advisors urged President Lee to pursue continued dialogue with opposition leadership and called for cooperative governance. They also offered advice on various issues including inter-Korean matters, Korea-U.S. and Korea-Japan summits, constitutional amendment, and prosecution reform.