President Lee invites rival leaders for lunch

Feb 12, 2026, 08:17 am

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President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung pose for a commemorative photo with citizens during a visit to the “Just Dream” food support center at the Chungju Health and Welfare Town in North Chungcheong Province on Feb. 11. / Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung will host a luncheon meeting on Feb. 12 with Jung Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, the presidential office announced Tuesday.

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said during a briefing at the Chunchoogwan press center that the meeting is intended to discuss bipartisan cooperation measures aimed at restoring livelihoods and stabilizing state affairs.

“There will be no restrictions on the agenda, and a candid exchange of views on overall state affairs is expected,” Kang said. “The president is likely to urge both the ruling party and the main opposition party to engage in responsible cooperation to bring about tangible changes that the public can feel.”

Kang added that the administration hopes the meeting will serve as a starting point in the new year for offering hope to the public through communication and collaboration. “The presidential office will continue to maintain close communication with both party leaderships to open a path toward a great leap forward for the nation based on unity and trust,” he said.

This will mark the first time in five months that President Lee has invited the leaders of the two major parties for a luncheon meeting, the last such gathering having taken place in September. In mid-January, Lee invited opposition leaders to the presidential office, but the People Power Party declined to attend.

When asked whether Lee plans to hold a separate one-on-one meeting with Jang, who had previously requested a formal summit between party leaders, Kang said, “At this point, communication between the two parties is more important.”

He added, “On legislative matters, the National Assembly will make decisions based on sufficient dialogue between the ruling and opposition parties, and the government will respect and follow those decisions. We hope tomorrow’s meeting will mark the beginning of renewed cooperation.”

#Lee Jae-myung #Jung Cheong-rae #Jang Dong-hyuk #Democratic Party of Korea #People Power Party