President-Elect Lee to Meet President Roh Today

President-elect Lee Myung-bak will have dinner with President Roh Moo-hyun on Friday at Cheong Wa Dae.

President-elect Lee`s spokesman Joo Ho-young told reporters on Thursday that Lee will meet President Roh at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and discuss administrative affairs and power transition procedures over a dinner party.

Presidential chief of staff Moon Jae-in, presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon, Lee’s chief-of staff Yim Tae-hee, and Joo Ho-young will also join the gathering, which will take place nine days after the December 19 presidential election.

Moon and Yim decided the timing and venue of the gathering on Thursday morning during a telephone conversation.

Regarding the agenda of the talk, Lee’s spokesman Joo said, “The details of the agenda haven’t been discussed. It seems that president-elect Lee will express his willingness to do his best to support President Roh so that he will not have difficulties in running state affairs until the last day of his tenure, and Roh will express his willingness to cooperate with Lee over the transition of state affairs.”

President Roh’s spokesman Cheon also said, “Since no formal agenda for discussion has been set, the two sides will be able to have an open discussion on a broad range of state affairs.”

Meanwhile, Joo said in a radio interview on Thursday, “President-elect Lee is confident about the ‘BBK special prosecution bill.’ He said that an investigation into the case must be promptly concluded for him to be well prepared for state administration.”

“Unless new evidence that prosecutors were unable to discover is found, it would be difficult for an independent counsel to summon President-elect Lee. However, Lee will actively cooperate with the independent prosecutor, regardless of his or her decision.”

However, Ahn Sang-soo, floor leader of the Grand National Party, said in a general meeting of party lawmakers on Thursday, “As the Korean Bar Association and the justice minister have pointed out, the BBK independent counsel bill is an unconstitutional, political coup by the majority party. Therefore, in my view, that the bill should be abolished."

sunshade@donga.com