President Lee Myung-bak is to meet with the leaders of three major political parties Thursday to discuss non-partisan measures on the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, according to officials.

“The presidential secretary for political affairs Kim Hyo-jae visited Rep. Won Hye-young and proposed a meeting with the president at 10 a.m. Thursday,” said a spokesperson of the new main opposition Democratic Unified Party.

Kim also delivered the same suggestion to the ruling Grand National Party’s emergency council chairwoman Rep. Park Geun-hye and the conservative minority Liberty Forward Party chairman Sim Dae-pyung.

It is yet uncertain whether or not other political figures will be added to the meeting, officials said.

During the talk, the president is expected to explain the government blueprint on inter-Korean relations and request cooperation with the government from the party leaders.

Earlier on Wednesday, Lee emphasized national unity in a meeting with religious leaders, saying “it is amid such crisis that we must unite as one.”

Eyes are also drawn to the GNP’s Rep. Park who is to meet with the president for the first time since she took the party’s provisional leadership Monday.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)