President Lee Jae-myung proposed a "golf meeting" to some veteran lawmakers of the People Power Party (PPP), it was confirmed Sunday.
According to Rep. Shin Sung-bum, a three-term PPP lawmaker representing the Sancheong-Hamyang-Geochang-Hapcheon district in South Gyeongsang Province, a Presidential Office official contacted Shin on May 19 and asked, "Can you play a round of golf with President Lee?" Shin said, "They told me the president wanted to meet opposition lawmakers to hear their criticism and have a conversation." He added, "I don't play golf, so it was difficult for me to attend, and I suggested he meet other opposition lawmakers to hear their views on matters such as withdrawing prosecutions."
Beyond Shin, President Lee reportedly sounded out veteran opposition lawmakers from the Yeongnam and Chungcheong regions. Some figures who were contacted by the Presidential Office before the local elections declined, saying, "Meeting before the election could invite misunderstanding." However, the Presidential Office said regarding the golf meeting proposal to the opposition that it was "difficult to confirm."
President Lee's golf meeting proposal is interpreted as reflecting his intention to open a channel of communication and hear the opposition's views amid a political deadlock. Some analysts suggest that because the veteran opposition lawmakers Lee proposed meetings with are generally neutral figures with weak factional ties, the move aligns with the "expansion of outreach" he has been working toward.
