Moon calls on opposition parties to drop partisan politics
President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday reiterated the importance of the upcoming inter-Korean summit and called for cooperation from the parliament, after political leaders rejected an invitation to accompany him to Pyongyang.
“We should make the upcoming Pyongyang summit an opportunity to lead complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a peaceful inter-Korean relationship, and to aid breaking the stalemate between the United States and North Korea,” President Moon said at a Cabinet meeting.
“To do that, we not only need strong support from the international community, but also support from all political parties. Please put aside party interests and partisan politics at this national juncture.”
Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyum later confirmed to reporters that Moon will visit Pyongyang with lawmakers who accepted the invitation.
On Monday, presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok requested the parliamentary leadership and heads of all five political parties join Moon’s trip to the North for the inter-Korean summit slated for Sept. 18-20.
Cheong Wa Dae’s request backfired, however, as not only opposition leaders but also National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang rejected the invitation, viewing the move as carrying the intention to have them “serve as a foil” next to the president.
Within two hours of Im’s request, six of the nine invited members at the National Assembly had turned down the request. Alongside Lee Hae-chan, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, only the minor center-left Party for Democracy and Peace and liberal opposition Justice Party expressed willingness to join the trip.
Parliamentary Speaker Moon, a former ruling party lawmaker, concluded that the parliamentary leadership would not accept the presidential request after the two vice speakers -- Reps. Lee Ju-yong of the Liberty Korea Party and Joo Seung-yong of the Bareunmirae Party -- declined the invitation in their trilateral meeting.
“It is better to have a couple of negotiators participating in the dialogue. I wish for the Moon administration to draw out a promise (from the North) to promote practical denuclearization,” Kim Byung-joon, interim chief of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, said upon rejecting Cheong Wa Dae’s request.
The conservative party’s floor leader Rep. Kim Sung-tae also expressed dissatisfaction, saying it would not be normal to bring the parliament and political parties on the trip.
Senior Political Affairs Secretary Han Byung-do visited the party leaders at the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon to encourage their participation, but was given the cold shoulder.
Han could not meet the interim chief of the Liberty Korea Party as Kim had left for Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, while Sohn Hak-kyu, head of the Bareunmirae Party, strongly denounced the presidential office, saying it showed a lack of respect for the parliament.
“I had already said I will not go (to Pyongyang) when National Assembly Speaker Moon asked over the phone, but I was surprised when Im made an open invitation at a press meeting (Monday),” Sohn said after meeting Han.
“Making the invitation public was not polite. Did the presidential office intend to make it look as if the opposition parties were rejecting an opportunity they gave?”
The invitation was also extended to Rep. Kang Seok-ho of the Liberty Korea Party, who declined. He currently serves as the chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification.
By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)
- 最近发表
-
- 古物:回望时间的印记
- 大雪节气欣“雪”——阎继红《雪堂客话图》里的意境与妙趣
- 让春运更加便捷顺畅温馨安康
- 闈掑矝宕傚北椋庢櫙鍖哄崕涓ユ父瑙堝尯鏀归€犲悗瀵瑰寮€鏀綺涓浗灞变笢缃慱闈掑矝
- [LLG] When compassion meets law: Lawyer defends goats, dogs, other helpless animals
- 五届市委第五轮巡察完成首批进驻
- 潮汕味,世界享!汕头美食亮相预制菜“第一会”
- 交警茶园话安全 全力护航采茶季
- Pakistan Cricket at crossroads after shock defeat at Pindi
- 娑﹀痉淇韩 鐢扮ゥ婀戠殑涔︽硶鎺㈢储涓庝汉鐢熷鐣宊涓浗灞变笢缃慱闈掑矝
- 随机阅读
-
- Best smartphone deal: Google Pixel 8a on sale for $449 at Amazon
- 五届市委第五轮巡察完成首批进驻
- 三十年坚守 为患病妻子撑起一片天
- 青岛盛禾服装有限公司与日本高木国际株式会社签约合作
- 多措并举优治理 绘就幸福新图景
- 增强全民防火意识 筑牢森林防火屏障
- 棣栧睍锛佸浗瀹惰壓鏈熀閲戔€滃ぇ娌虫粩婊旓細榛勬渤鏂囧寲缇庢湳浣滃搧灞曗€濆紑骞昣涓浗灞变笢缃慱闈掑矝
- 青岛福彩带孩子们游青岛电影博物馆 探寻电影奥秘
- Apple iPod: The First 10 Years of the Ubiquitous Media Player
- “下一站美好,优雅抵达” 美克美家Caracole邂逅青岛
- 莱西市南墅镇加快城市更新建设 激活乡村振兴“新动能”
- 10分钟达成5组18家代表签约!预制菜出海对接会成“促单王”
- North Korea says it conducted important test to develop multiple warhead missile
- 新质生产力就在身边!“AI农业+保险”主题研讨会举行
- 护绿促兴、用绿增效,常平“三大工程”积极构建绿美格局
- “玉兔迎新春”萝卜艺术雕刻展暨“新春游市北、文化大踩街”开启
- 尝“鲜”盛宴,等你来探!2024年清远西牛麻竹笋尝鲜季即将启幕
- 音乐与时尚的“邂逅”!无极四重奏专场音乐会精彩上演
- 2022鍚屽績鐖卞績琛屾毃鍏ㄥ浗灏戝効鏂囪壓灞曟紨閫夋嫈娲诲姩鍚姩
- 热!“跑圈大v”纷纷打卡这场清马
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-