President Park Geun-hye will request bipartisan support for a package of economic stimulus bills during her parliamentary address on Wednesday, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.

It will be her second budget speech at the National Assembly since taking office in early 2013. Most of her predecessors had their prime ministers, technically the No. 2 government position, deliver the speech on their behalf, her spokesman Min Kyung-wook told reporters. Her gesture will be a means of showing respect as the head of the government to the legislature and also to the people, he added. But her move was seen as an attempt to seek a breakthrough in a prolonged political deadlock between rival parties and build momentum to push ahead with her bills, which have been on hold since early this year.

In a surprise move, she also plans to meet leaders from the ruling and the main opposition party after her speech. She will be accompanied by Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon and her senior secretary for political affairs Cho Yoon-sun, Min said.

In a rare meeting, the president is likely to seek their support to pass the government-proposed bills by reiterating that it is the golden time to revitalize the country’s sluggish economy. She is also likely to ask for bipartisan support for her drive to reform the public servants’ pension program.

Park’s rare visit to the parliament comes amid escalating conflicts between her and the ruling Saenuri party over an attempt to open a discussion on a constitutional revision. Saenuri chairman Kim Moo-sung has reportedly issued a request to Cheong Wa Dae to meet Park separately before she delivers the speech on Wednesday morning. But it remains unclear whether Park will accept Kim’s request as they have been at odds since the Saenuri chief brought up the issue of a constitutional revision though Park had already voiced her disapproval.

The revision is a highly sensitive subject in Korea as it calls for a coalition government structure in which a president and chancellor share power.

Kim’s move was interpreted by Cheong Wa Dae as a challenge to Park’s authority.

While visiting China, Kim said that there would be “a flood of discussion” over a constitutional amendment, noting that the discussion would aim to resolve political deadlocks between the ruling and the main opposition parties.

Later Kim apologized to Park for “carelessly” bringing up the issue.

Cheong Wa Dae fired back at the party chief that the remark he made last week was calculated, not a mistake.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)