President Roh Meets Three Government Officials and Four Party Leaders

President Roh Moo-hyun invited three major government officials and four chairmen from the ruling and opposition parties for a dinner on November 25 at Cheong Wa Dae and discussed domestic and international pending issues.

This day’s gathering between President Roh and Grand National Party (GNP) leader Park Geun-hye was the first of its kind since Rep. Park took office this March, and it draws attention to whether this opportunity will serve in resolving the standoff between the ruling and opposition parties over numerous pending issues.

The participants of this meeting were three major government officials—Chairman of the National Assembly Kim Won-ki, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Choi Jong-young, and Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan—and four major parties’ leaders, including Uri Party’s Chairman Lee Bu-young, GNP’s Chairwoman. Park, Millennium Democratic Party’s Chairman Han Hwa-kap, the United Liberal Democrats’ Chairman Kim Hak-won, and Uri Party and GNP’s floor leaders Cheon Jeong-bae and Kim Deok-ryong.

Jung-Hun Kim Seung-Heon Lee jnghn@donga.com ddr@donga.com