Lee Dines for 3 Hours with Kim Minseok, Han Byeongdo: "Party and Government Must Work with One Heart and Mind"

Discussed addressing polarization and cooperation on the budget bill
Kim Minseok called for bold and swift measures to boost consumption
President Lee urged the National Assembly to cooperate

President Lee Jae Myung held a dinner on Nov. 11 with Kim Minseok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Han Byeongdo, the party's floor leader, to discuss ways for the ruling party and the government to work together to address polarization and boost consumption. Kim called on the government to respond boldly and swiftly to revive the people's livelihoods and the economy, while Lee urged the ruling party to actively cooperate to ensure the smooth passage of next year's budget bill through the National Assembly.

President Lee Jaemyung (center) poses for a commemorative photo with attendees at a dinner with the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea at Cheong Wa Dae on the 11th. From left: Presidential Chief of Staff Im Gwanghyeon; Rep. Kim Taeseon, chief of staff to the Democratic Party leader; party leader Kim Minseok; President Lee; floor leader Han Byeongdo; Chief Deputy Floor Leader Cheon Junho; and Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Choi Inho. Nov. 11, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Kang Yoo-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, said in a written briefing that Lee had dinner with the Democratic Party leadership at Cheong Wa Dae, where they discussed issues affecting people's livelihoods and ways for the ruling party and the government to work together. The dinner lasted about two hours and 50 minutes, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:20 p.m.

At the dinner, Kim called on the government to devise bolder and faster measures to overcome polarization and boost consumption. He said active policy responses were needed to ensure that the results of the economic recovery translate into tangible improvements in people's lives.

In response, Lee stressed, "The ruling party and the government must work together with one heart and one mind to improve people's lives." In particular, he called on the ruling party and the National Assembly to actively cooperate on the 2027 budget bill, which is currently under review by the Assembly.

The budget bill for next year submitted by the government to the National Assembly totals 820 trillion 900 billion won. In his policy speech to the Assembly on Nov. 2, Lee also emphasized "Growth for All," in which the public shares equally in the opportunities and benefits of growth, and called for the bill to be passed by the statutory deadline.

President Lee Jaemyung (center) attends a dinner with the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 11, 2026. Yonhap News

Lee also urged presidential Chief of Staff Lim Kwanghyun and Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Choi Inho, who attended the dinner, to maintain close communication with the National Assembly. The move is seen as an effort to build momentum for key government initiatives through policy coordination with the ruling party leadership and consultation channels with the Assembly.

The dinner also drew attention because it came amid recent differences between the ruling party and the government over real estate tax reform. Some within the Democratic Party have called for measures including an expansion of the basic deduction for the comprehensive real estate tax, raising the need for policy coordination between the party and the government.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.