South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to meet with the leadership of both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party on Monday, followed by a separate one-on-one with the opposition leader later that day.
According to presidential secretary for political affairs Kim Byung-wook, Lee will host a luncheon with both party leaders at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. No formal agenda has been set. The meeting is expected to proceed in a free and candid manner.
"President Lee is meeting the ruling and opposition party leaders to exchange frank views on current state affairs," Kim said during a televised briefing Friday. "The meeting will be held without a preset agenda and in an open format."
Those attending include the ruling Democratic Party's chair, Rep. Jung Chung-rae, and the main opposition People Power Party's chair, Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, along with each party’s chief of staff and spokesperson.
Representing the presidential office will be chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Woo Sang-ho.
Kim added that the meeting was agreed upon Friday morning.
Following the luncheon, Lee is also scheduled to hold a separate one-on-one meeting with Jang later the same day.
Although the president had expressed willingness to meet since Jang’s appointment as party leader on Aug. 26, Jang insisted on a one-on-one meeting and refused to meet under any other arrangement.
According to the presidential office, Democratic Party Chair Jung — who previously said he would not even "shake hands" with the People Power Party, likening the party to "insurrectionary forces" following former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed Dec. 3 martial law declaration — had raised no objections to the meeting.
"Chair Jung said he agrees with the meeting and is participating in the spirit of dialogue," Kim added. "The presidential office hopes this gathering will serve as a starting point for strengthened communication and cooperative governance."
The People Power Party welcomed the announcement, framing it as an opportunity to move beyond political confrontation and focus on the public’s needs.
"We hope the meeting becomes a dialogue for the livelihood of the people and the future of the country," said Rep. Park Sung-hoon, the People Power Party’s chief spokesperson, in a statement released Friday afternoon.
"If the meeting is simply a symbolic show to cover up political oppression of the opposition, it would be meaningless."
Park underscored that "the first step toward national unity and political normalization must be recognizing the opposition not as a target of retaliation, but as a partner in dialogue and governance."
The Democratic Party also expressed support for the gathering.
"We welcome this development alongside the people and view it as a fortunate step," said Rep. Park Soo-hyun, the Democratic Party’s chief spokesperson, during a briefing at the National Assembly.
Park said he hoped the meeting would help generate follow-up measures from the recent South Korea-US summit, address the remnants of Yoon’s martial law controversy, and offer new momentum for economic recovery and livelihood improvement.
Asked whether Chair Jung would shake hands with his counterpart Jang, Park said, "With the public watching, of course they’ll shake hands. But what matters more than a formal handshake is that it becomes a genuine moment — a fresh start for bipartisan cooperation."
Park also expressed hope that the meeting would lead to the institutionalization of regular communication channels between the two parties.
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