President Park Geun-hye focused on the economic theme of her policy address in a meeting with the ruling and opposition parties Wednesday, stressing the need for interparty cooperation to revive the economy.

Park dedicated much of the 40-minute meeting, with leaders of both political parties, to the economy and related bills, only briefly touching on sensitive political issues.

“The parties exist for the people, and I think that there is nothing that cannot be done (if the parties) put their heads together to revive the economy,” Park said. She also said that economic stimulus measures were given top priority in drawing up next year’s budget, and that government intervention was unavoidable. 

“(The economy) cannot be revived if the government does not step in. If the spark (of economy) is not revived, debt will rise, and the links in reviving will be cut.”

Regarding the Government Organization Act revision, the special Sewol bill, and the so-called Yoo Byung-eun bill that brough the rival parties to a months-long deadlock, Park simply requested that the parties handle them “well” to put the country “on the path of innovation.”

The matter of amending the Constitution, which was rumored to have driven a wedge between the president and Saenuri Party chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung, was not mentioned in the meeting.

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy’s interim leader Rep. Moon Hee-sang, who has now been tasked with leading the party out of a crisis for the second time since the 2012 presidential election, expressed concerns about the government’s economic measures.

“Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan’s economic stimulus measures known as ‘Choinomics’ is worrisome. The core of reviving the economy should be improving the fundamentals, and making (the conditions) comfortable for the people,” Moon said.

At the meeting, leaders of the two main parties and the president reaffirmed the resolve to process the three bills that stemmed from the Sewol ferry disaster by Oct. 30, and to pass the budget in time.

The NPAD also reiterated its demands to launch parliamentary investigations into the previous administration’s so-called “natural resource diplomacy,” the four-rivers project and irregularities in defense projects.

Moon also said that the monitoring of telecommunications must be maintained within reasonable boundaries, and requested that the government prevent anti-Pyongyang leaflets from being sent to North Korea by civilian organizations.

Although inter-Korean relations appeared to be improving, relations have once again been strained over the leaflets.

The main opposition party also stressed the need for more time in reforming the government employees pension system. The public sector pension system has become a major issue in recent weeks with Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling party pushing to complete the process within the year.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)