Hong Joon-pyo snubs Moon's meeting offer

Hong Joon-pyo, center, chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, talks with People’s Party interim chief Park Joo-sun, left, while ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae looks on, during an event to mark the nation’s 69th Constitution Day at the National Assembly, Monday. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Liberty Korea Party (LKP) Chairman Hong Joon-pyo made it clear Monday he will not attend a luncheon hosted by President Moon Jae-in later this week to discuss key pending issues with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties.

Hong, who was the runner-up candidate in the May 9 presidential election, conveyed his refusal during a meeting with Jun Byung-hun, chief presidential secretary for political affairs, at the party headquarters on Yeouido.

“Hong stated clearly he will not go to the Cheong Wa Dae meeting,” LKP spokesman Khang Hyo-shang told reporters.

On Friday, President Moon, through his secretary, invited the chairmen and chairwomen of the five political parties to the luncheon to be held at Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday.

At the time, Jun said the meeting was designed to brief the party leaders on the outcome of Moon’s recent diplomatic meetings, including the Seoul-Washington summit held late last month.

A day after the invitation, Hong expressed his refusal on Facebook, saying he does not want to get angry at issues related to the free trade agreement between Korea and the United States (KORUS FTA) in what will be his first meeting with the President as party chairman.

He was elected chairman of the conservative opposition party July 3.

The KORUS FTA issue is expected to be high on the agenda during the meeting, after U.S. President Donald Trump took official action to amend the agreement.

Khang said that when Hong led the National Assembly endorsement of the KORUS FTA in 2011 as chairman of the then-ruling party, the now-incumbent ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), at the time the main opposition party, strongly opposed its passage.

Khang noted the DPK at the time claimed it would push for a renegotiation with the United States if it took power.

“The U.S. government is now demanding a renegotiation, but the DPK is keeping silent,” Khang said.

LKP insiders noted that Hong wants the Moon government and the ruling party to apologize for their previous criticism of him, and their current negative attitude toward the renegotiation.

A Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters the presidential office will push to hold the meeting even if Hong refuses to attend.

“We need to observe good manners for the other party leaders who agreed to attend the meeting,” the official said, asking not to be named. “The presidential office expects Hong to come to the meeting as the LKP chairman who has stressed the importance of national security, as the meeting will be a venue in which the President and party leaders will discuss this and other issues.”