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DP, PPP agree to hold bipartisan meeting without acting president this week

Published: 04 Mar. 2025, 18:58

LEE SOO-JUNG
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From left: Conservative People Power Party floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae pose for a photograph at a bipartisan meeting held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on March 4. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The floor leadership of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) and liberal Democratic Party (DP) on Tuesday agreed to convene a consultative meeting on state affairs without acting President Choi Sang-mok two days later.

Parliamentary Speaker Woo Won-shik, PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong and DP floor leader Park Chan-dae attended a bipartisan meeting at the National Assembly in western Seoul.

The meeting on Tuesday came five days after DP floor leader Park boycotted a consultative meeting between the government and parliament on Feb. 28 to protest Choi’s indecision to appoint Constitutional Court justice nominee Ma Eun-hyeok – suggested by the parliament.

DP Rep. Park Sung-joon, who also attended the meeting on Tuesday, said it “would be wrongful to sit at the negotiation table with Choi who does not acknowledge the Constitution” to explain Choi’s exclusion.

Park’s remarks appeared to be aligned with a Constitutional Court ruling on Feb. 27 that viewed Choi’s withdrawal was an infringement of parliamentary rights.

On Thursday, Woo and each party’s floor leaders, senior representatives and policy chiefs will participate in the consultative meeting for state affairs.

During the meeting on Tuesday, both parties agreed to hold plenary sessions on March 13, 20 and 27. They also agreed to form a special committee to reform the pension scheme with six lawmakers from each party and one from other minor parties.

“The National Assembly will make every effort to fulfill its role of making people’s lives more comfortable even when situations are challenging,” Woo said.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]