Lee calls for bipartisanship to overcome Iran war fallout in meeting with DP, PPP chiefs
Published: 07 Apr. 2026, 17:36
Updated: 07 Apr. 2026, 19:23
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- SARAH KIM
- [email protected]
![President Lee Jae Myung, center, clasps hands with Democratic Party chairman Jung Chung-rae, left, and People Power Party chairman Jang Dong-hyeok ahead of a luncheon meeting of the leaders of the rival parties and presidential aides at the Blue House in central Seoul on April 7. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/07/fe16c849-8aa9-491d-a20f-9412c3e38fd9.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, center, clasps hands with Democratic Party chairman Jung Chung-rae, left, and People Power Party chairman Jang Dong-hyeok ahead of a luncheon meeting of the leaders of the rival parties and presidential aides at the Blue House in central Seoul on April 7. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
President Lee Jae Myung stressed the necessity of bipartisan cooperation to overcome the current crisis in a rare meeting with the leaders of the rival parties on Tuesday to discuss measures to respond to uncertainties stemming from the war in the Middle East.
"Internal unity is truly important during difficult times like these, especially when our society is facing a crisis due to external factors," Lee said at the Blue House in central Seoul. The remarks were made at a luncheon meeting with Jung Chung-rae, head of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), DP floor leader Han Byung-do, Jang Dong-hyeok, head of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), and PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog.
This marks the second time Lee has met with the leaders of the DP and PPP in 211 days, following a luncheon on Sept. 8 of last year.
"It is clear that Korea is currently facing a significant crisis," Lee said. "Domestic factors were improving significantly, but unfortunately, due to external factors and events occurring in areas beyond our control, responding is not easy."
He then urged both ruling and opposition parties to show "great consideration" to overcome such a crisis, asking for bipartisan cooperation in the process of passing a supplementary budget bill to mitigate the Middle East crisis and a bill on a constitutional amendment.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also attended the luncheon, along with top presidential aides, including chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and Hong Ihk-pyo, senior presidential secretary for political affairs.
Referring to the government's plan to distribute cash assistance to help offset the strain from soaring oil prices, Lee said the government has prepared a so-called war relief fund to ease the burden on the public due to fuel price hikes and inflation.
He said the measure is "by no means populism," as he sought understanding from the opposition party.
The scheme requires 4.8 trillion won ($3.2 billion) for the oil price relief fund and is part of the government's 26.2 trillion won supplementary budget to mitigate the economic fallout from the Middle East crisis.
The Lee administration plans to distribute cash assistance ranging from 100,000 won to 600,000 won per person to about 35.8 million people, covering the bottom 70 percent of income earners.
Lee said that the funding will come from existing tax revenue and wouldn't induce additional debt or any tax levies that could place a heavier burden on the public.
"With price hikes stemming from the fuel tax hike so significant, I believe we must compensate for at least some of the resulting suffering," Lee said.
![President Lee Jae Myung, center, speaks with main opposition People Power Party chairman Jang Dong-hyeok, right, during a luncheon meeting with the leaders of rival parties to discuss measures to respond to the Middle East crisis at the Blue House in central Seoul on April 7. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/07/b708fadf-f90a-46b0-bffd-b5fdbdab3742.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, center, speaks with main opposition People Power Party chairman Jang Dong-hyeok, right, during a luncheon meeting with the leaders of rival parties to discuss measures to respond to the Middle East crisis at the Blue House in central Seoul on April 7. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Regarding the constitutional amendment bill proposed in the National Assembly, Lee pointed out, "Too much time has passed since the Constitution of Korea was enacted, so it has become like ill-fitting clothes."
The Cabinet approved a motion Monday to amend the Constitution, enabling the National Assembly to vote on the proposed amendment meant to tighten the requirements for declaring martial law and incorporate the spirit of past prodemocracy movements in the text.
The bill aims to include references to the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement uprising in 1980 against the military regime of Chun Doo Hwan, who seized control of the country in a military coup the previous year, and the 1979 Busan-Masan pro-democracy protests against the Park Chung Hee regime in the preamble. The preamble currently states that the country upholds the "democratic ideals" of the April 19 uprising in 1960, which overthrew then-President Syngman Rhee following allegations of election fraud.
"I wonder who would oppose preventing the abuse of martial law," Lee said. "Strengthening local autonomy is also a point on which there is no disagreement."
"The constitutional amendment is impossible without the help of the PPP," the president said, asking the opposition party to "discuss it seriously" and remain open-minded.
"When we have differing opinions, it is better to meet and talk frequently," Lee said to the rival parties. While acknowledging that "opinions may not always align," he urged the parties to "speak openly as much as possible" in order to "significantly reduce misunderstandings," calling the meeting more than a publicity stunt.
The rival parties, however, showed continued signs of disagreement over key issues during the 120-minute meeting.
PPP leader Jang urged Lee to "preemptively declare to the people that he will not seek a second or consecutive term before discussing constitutional amendment," PPP spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon told reporters at the National Assembly later Tuesday.
Choi said that the constitutional amendment issue was raised during closed-door talks, and that the PPP leadership clearly said they oppose "a vote on the constitutional amendment held simultaneously with the local elections."
The spokesperson added that "President Lee and the DP took a negative stance or avoided giving an immediate answer" to the conservative party's various requests.
The Blue House, in a statement shortly afterwards, rejected reports that Lee had avoided giving a direct response to the Jang's remarks on serving consecutive terms, calling them "completely false."
![President Lee Jae Myung, second from left in the front row, walks with Democratic Party Chairman Jung Chung-rae, People Power Party Chairman Jang Dong-hyeok and presidential aides to a luncheon meeting at the Blue House in central Seoul on April 7. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/07/76e95380-2856-4926-9275-d0b19b40a06d.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, second from left in the front row, walks with Democratic Party Chairman Jung Chung-rae, People Power Party Chairman Jang Dong-hyeok and presidential aides to a luncheon meeting at the Blue House in central Seoul on April 7. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
As the party leaders took commemorative photos ahead of the meeting, Lee told Jung and Jang, who were positioned on either side of him, "You two aren't still holding hands these days, are you? Try practicing."
Jung, who has refused to shake hands with Jang after he was elected party leader in August of last year under the principle that he would "not shake hands with the forces of insurrection," in reference to ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol's 2024 martial law imposition, shook hands with Jang for the first time a month later at the bipartisan luncheon hosted by the president.
The leaders, in turn, were photographed Tuesday with their hands clasped together with Lee's, who wore a blue-and-red striped tie indicating bipartisan unity, with blue symbolizing the DP and red the PPP.
BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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