Uri Party, Roh Still at Odds Over Rhyu

The conflict between the ruling party and Cheong Wa Dae surrounding the nomination of Rhyu Si-min as the Minister of Health and Welfare seems to be continuing after the leadership of the ruling party refused to have a dinner meeting with President Roh Moo-hyun.

Member of the emergency committee and a standing consultant, who were invited to the dinner meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, held a breakfast meeting at a restaurant in Yeouido in Seoul and said, “Today’s dinner meeting was supposed to be a chance to listen to what members of the ruling party think about a cabinet reshuffle, but as the reshuffle issue came to a conclusion, it is reasonable to delay the meeting.”

At the breakfast meeting, lawmakers such as Cho Bae-sook strongly denounced President Roh and Cheong Wa Dae, saying, “Cheong Wa Dae was supposed to gather opinion from the party, but announced the nomination unilaterally. The party was completely incapacitated.”

After an intense debate, they agreed to a compromise made by former party chairman Moon Hee-sang that the meeting should be postponed until new interim leadership is formed. Accordingly, Uri Party floor leader Chung Sye-kyun asked senior presidential secretary Lee Byung-wan to delay the meeting in the morning of that day and Cheong Wa Dae agreed.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Man-soo said at a briefing: “After establishment of a new leadership that will lead the party until a party convention in February, a meeting with the president will be set up at the request of the party then.”

Jung-Hun Kim Yeon-Wook Jung jnghn@donga.com jyw11@donga.com