Lee, Park discuss next presidency

One-on-one meeting held Saturday over luncheon

By Na Jeong-ju

President Lee Myung-bak and former ruling Grand National Party (GNP) Chairwoman Rep. Park Geun-hye met on Saturday at Cheong Wa Dae to discuss the next presidential election and other political issues, their aides said Sunday.

“Lee and Park had one-on-one talks over lunch from 11:55 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,” Chung Jin-suk, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, told reporters, confirming a report by SBS, a local broadcaster, earlier in the day that they had met secretly.

Chung said it was difficult to say what they discussed because it was a closed-door gathering, but, according to Park’s aides, they exchanged opinions on how to win the next presidential election, security regarding North Korea and other issues of concern.

“Park received an invitation Friday for the meeting at the presidential office,” said GNP lawmaker Lee Jung-hyun, a close aide to the former chairwoman. “They shared the common goal of winning the next presidential election by regaining public confidence in the governing camp and discussed a wide range of other issues, including North Korea.”

It was their first meeting since Park visited Lee in September last year after returning from a trip to Europe as a presidential envoy.

It’s still too early to say whether the meeting between the two estranged conservative leaders will pave the way for reconciliation between the GNP’s rival factions.

Early this month, President Lee nominated the 48-year-old former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Tae-ho as the new prime minister, spawning speculation that Lee wants him to compete with Park for the presidency. Park lost to Lee in the two-way GNP primary race in 2007 to choose its presidential candidate.

The National Assembly will open a two-day confirmation hearing for the premier-designate Kim Tuesday.

Lee also had taken measures to mend fences with Park.

He gave a special pardon on the occasion of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day to Suh Chung-won, former GNP lawmaker and a close aide to Park, who was serving a prison term after being convicted of taking illegal political funds. Suh was one of more than 2,000 convicts who received presidential pardons.

After the pardons were announced, some aides said Lee decided to free him in an effort to seek unity within the ruling camp.

Lee needs close cooperation from Park and her 50-strong affiliated lawmakers to push through his reform agenda, including the disputed flagship project to refurbish four major rivers nationwide.

이 대통령, 박근혜 차기 정권 재창출 문제 다뤄

이명박 대통령이 21일 박근혜 전 한나라당 대표와 청와대에서 비공개 오찬 회동을 가졌다고 여권 관계자가 22일 밝혔다.

이 대통령과 박 전 대표는 이날 오전 11시55분부터 오후 1시30분까지 배석자 없이 오찬을 함께하면서 정국 현안에 대해 의견을 교환한 것으로 전해졌다.

이번 회동은 지난해 9월 박 전 대표가 특사 자격으로 유럽을 방문하고 돌아와 귀국보고를 한 이후 11개월 만에 처음 있는 일이다.

이 대통령과 박 전 대표가 어떤 얘기를 나눴는지는 정확히 알려지지 않고 있지만, 여권 내에서는 박 전 대표가 이날 회동을 통해 이 대통령의 후반기 국정 운영에 적극 협조하겠다는 의사를 전달했을 것이라는 관측이 나오고 있다.

다수의 관계자들은, 두 사람이 정권 재창출과 현 정부의 성공을 위해 협력하기로 약속했다고 전했다.