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Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung (left) speaks during his first summit with President Yoon Suk-yeol, which took place on April 29, 2024, at the presidential office in Seoul’s Yongsan District. (Yoon Woon-sik/The Hankyoreh)

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol sat down with leader Lee Jae-myung of the top opposition Democratic Party for the first time to date on Monday — 720 days after Yoon’s administration took office — but the two failed to reach any concrete agreement.

While they did share a consensus on the need to increase the national medical college admission cap, they only reaffirmed their differences on most other issues, including livelihood relief payments and legislation for a special prosecutor to probe allegations of external pressure in the investigation into a Marine’s death during flood rescue efforts in 2023.

The presidential office described the meeting as a “first step toward communication and collaborative governance with the opposition,” while Lee called the encounter “frustrating and disappointing.”

At 2 pm on Monday, Yoon and Lee met at the presidential office in Seoul’s Yongsan District for a summit that lasted two hours and 15 minutes.

In a briefing afterward, Lee Do-woon, the office’s senior presidential secretary for public relations, said, “While they did not reach an agreement, the two sides shared perceptions in a general, broader sense.”

The spokesperson also explained that the two had reached agreements on three areas: the need for health care reforms and the inevitability of an increase in the nationwide medical college admission cap, the need for frequent future meetings, and the position that livelihoods are the “most important concern in political and policy terms.”

At the same time, they did not specify any plans for regular encounters or a specific future meeting.

They also failed to reach common ground in terms of ideas for addressing livelihood issues, with Yoon proposing the creation of a discussion framework between the ruling and opposition parties and administration, and Lee Jae-myung suggesting the priority use of the National Assembly as a mechanism.

In a prefatory statement on Monday, Lee listed 12 demands, which he read in determined fashion from a 10-page document prepared beforehand. But his ideas — which included cash handouts of 250,000 won per person in response to the cost-of-living crisis — were not accepted during the meeting.

Commenting on the stimulus payments idea, Yoon suggested, “In light of prices, interest rates, and the impact on the fiscal situation, it would be better to support struggling people in more effective ways under the current circumstances.”

He also effectively rejected the idea of legislation to assign a special prosecutor to investigate the October 2022 crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon, citing legal issues.

Lee’s opening statement also included a roundabout call for the administration to agree to legislation for a special prosecutor to probe first lady Kim Keon-hee’s alleged involvement in Deutsch Motors stock price manipulations.

“We should resolve and move past the various allegations concerning family members and other figures associated [with the administration], which are becoming a severe impediment to managing affairs of state,” he said.

Yoon did not offer any reply. He also did not accept Lee’s request for him to express “regrets over excessive use of veto powers.”

Commenting on the meeting, the presidential office said, “We see this as a first step toward communication and collaborative governance with the opposition.”

“While we cannot predict the political situation going forward, it is important to have taken a first step toward communicating with the opposition,” it added.

In contrast, the Democratic Party said that it had come in with high hopes but saw no signs of change from the administration.

Senior party spokesperson Park Sung-joon, who was present during the meeting, said that Yoon’s “complacent attitude toward the situation raises concerns about his state administration in the future.”

“There didn’t appear to be any signs of a commitment to restoring livelihoods and transforming the approach to governing,” he said.

Park also quoted Lee as saying he found the meeting “frustrating and disappointing” but that it should be “viewed as significant in opening a new chapter in communication.”

By Jang Na-rye, staff reporter; Ko Han-sol, staff reporter; Kang Jae-gu, staff reporter

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