Cheong Wa Dae is moving to mend the fences with ruling party members disgruntled over the presidential office’s incommunicativeness blamed for a series of controversies over government reorganization plans and personnel appointments. But the lawmakers’ initial response appears lackluster as some of them raised questions over President Park Geun-hye’s lingering control over the party and the sincerity of the reconciliatory move.

On Wednesday, senior presidential secretary for political affairs Lee Jung-hyun, who is considered one of Park’s core aides, attended a gathering of first-term lawmakers, in an apparent friendly gesture. More than half, or 78 of the 152 Saenuri Party lawmakers, are first-termers.

Accompanying him was Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, a close aide of Park who had resigned as the right-hand man of her presidential campaign last year over factional strife. Choi is running in a race to become the party’s new floor leader next month. Immediately, questions rose over the two’s side-by-side attendance, with some suggesting Park was indirectly indicating her support for Choi.

At the event in which some 24 rookie lawmakers participated, Lee delivered a speech about “Communication between the Saenuri Party and Cheong Wa Dae,” after which Choi took the microphone and began sharing his advice on how to lead a successful career in parliament.

While party sources reportedly explained Choi’s competitor Rep. Lee Ju-young was also invited to come and speak, news reports quoted Lee as denying it. Lee reportedly joined the event only after learning of the session by chance.

The sensitive reaction by the party members reflected brewing tension between the ruling party and Cheong Wa Dae, who have drifted apart during the presidential transition period where most of the policy decisions seemingly bypassed the views of the Saenuri Party.

Aware of the need for parliamentary backing to realize her policies, Park has begun to reach out to her party more visibly since last weekend. At a workshop gathering the representatives of Cheong Wa Dae, the government and the party, Lee Jung-hyun quoted Park as saying that all policy must be explained to the ruling party and earn their understanding in advance.

Cheong Wa Dae needs parliamentary support to implement its measures that it hopes will pick up the administrative momentum lost in the first several weeks over the personnel debacle where a number of designated Cabinet members withdraw after strong opposition and allegations. Cheong Wa Dae, for one, needs parliamentary approval for its supplementary budget plans to prepare for the anticipated shortfall in tax revenue amidst the economic downturn. It also needs the go-ahead from the National Assembly to start its real estate stimulation measures. Park’s approval ratings have been consistently hovering around 40 percent.

Prior to announcing the real estate plans, Cheong Wa Dae officials visited the Assembly and explained the measures, an unprecedented sight since Park’s transition committee days.

The party members, however, have remained cynical so far, criticizing the government’s “creative economy” vision as being ambiguous and hard to understand.

“We won’t be able to help persuade the people unless (the government) fully explains to us in detail how and what industries you plan to foster and so forth,” said Rep. Lee Koon-hyon.

Rep. Kim Jung-hoon slammed Cheong Wa Dae’s personnel vetting system, saying, “The biggest reason for the dropping support ratings for the president is personnel appointment. The office of the senior secretary for civil affairs must prepare a solid personnel vetting system.”

As criticism continued, Park volunteered to explain her vision at a policy briefing session earlier this week, saying that the creative economy pursued by the new government refered to a “bold shift in paradigm” to place creativity as the core economic value to create new value-added business and jobs by converging different industries with culture through the convergence of science technology and information communications technology.

The Institute for the Nation’s Future, Park’s former think tank, announced it would hold a seminar to discuss what “creative economy” was on April 17.

To improve communication, Cheong Wa Dae suggested hosting the tripartite workshop twice every year and forming a council among the party, the government and the presidential office to discuss policies.

Work to improve the vetting process for high-level officials is reportedly under way as well, according to sources.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)