Kim Min-seok Lifts Jang Dong-hyeok … Will Ruling and Opposition Parties Open 'Two-Top Politics'?

Kim Min-seok, chair of the Democratic Party, and Jang Dong-hyeok, chair of the People Power Party, recognized each other as political opponents from their first official meeting, yet revealed clear differences in positions on major issues. Attention is being drawn to whether a 'two-top politics' will take shape, with ruling and opposition leaders alternately confronting and negotiating to lead political affairs.

According to political circles on the 24th, Chair Kim visited the National Assembly People Power Party headquarters to pay a courtesy call on Chair Jang. This was a week after Kim was elected party chair at the Democratic Party convention on the 17th.

From their first meeting, Chair Kim actively praised Chair Jang. Kim said he "genuinely likes" Jang and evaluated him as "an essential leader in current Korean politics." While there are areas where their political views differ, he emphasized there are also "areas of intersection" where they shared views, such as in the process of lifting martial law.

He added, "As long as politics continues in the Republic of Korea, aren't Chair Jang and I the two people who must not let go of the thread of dialogue?" and proposed, "Usually we say 'regularization' or 'regular basis,' but what if we go beyond that to an 'ad-hoc basis'?"

In response, Chair Jang said, "I actively agree with the proposal to meet directly and converse on an ad-hoc basis."

When Chair Kim mentioned the photographs of former presidents Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, and Kim Young-sam hanging in the People Power Party headquarters and said "(the distance between the two parties) is not completely far," Chair Jang responded, "The distance between the ruling and opposition party chairs' offices is not so great."

In contrast to former Democratic Party Chair Jung Cheong-rae not meeting with the People Power Party, Chair Kim has begun restoring dialogue with the ruling party immediately after taking office.

Chair Jang asked Chair Kim to support the president's state affairs while also requesting that the opposition party join forces when the National Assembly checks the executive branch.

If Chair Kim recognized Chair Jang as a political counterpart from the ruling party, Chair Jang asked Chair Kim to fulfill the role of a ruling party chair capable of maintaining distance from the government.

However, differences in positions on current issues were clear.

Chair Jang raised an example from the Roh Moo-hyun administration regarding the controversy surrounding Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's recent nomination of a supreme court justice candidate.

Chair Jang said, "In 2003, when Supreme Court Chief Justice Choi Jong-young recommended a supreme court justice candidate, the Blue House expressed dissatisfaction, but former President Roh Moo-hyun accepted it based on the belief that judicial independence must be protected," and requested that roles be played from the perspective of judicial independence and the rule of law.

In response, Chair Kim countered, "In a situation 21 years later, not just one side's decision but all levels including the entire procedure must be normalized."

Chair Jang immediately replied, "Let's not put too much weight on procedural issues," and brought up the matter of public trust regarding future supreme court appointments and trials.

From their first meeting, while recognizing each other, the two exchanged immediate rebuttals and counter-rebuttals on issues surrounding the judiciary.

On matters concerning people's livelihoods and the economy, they found common ground.

When Chair Jang emphasized the need for control over state finances regarding the government's future response fund and proposed using approximately 50 percent of excess tax revenue for the middle class, ordinary people, and youth, Chair Kim answered, "There are many aspects that I fully sympathize with."

On real estate policy, they left room for dialogue.

Chair Jang pointed out the inconsistency of government policy, yet expressed welcome for Chair Kim's revision opinions on the government's tax reform plan.

Chair Kim said, "While respecting the market as much as possible and making efforts to supplement market failures as a basic principle, I propose creating a framework for ruling and opposition parties and the people to discuss the real estate issue together."

The two confronted each other on judicial and political issues while confirming room for negotiation on people's livelihoods and economic matters.

There have been precedents of ruling and opposition leaders directly negotiating on major issues. In 2015, Kim Moo-sung, chair of the Saenuri Party, and Moon Jae-in, chair of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, held representative meetings with participating party floor leaders to jointly respond to the MERS outbreak.

However, this meeting between Chairs Kim Min-seok and Jang Dong-hyeok differs in that, beyond sitting down due to a specific issue, they agreed from the outset to make dialogue between leaders "ad-hoc." If the two chairs directly lead negotiations and confrontations on each major issue, there is a possibility that it could develop into a new political axis centered on ruling and opposition party leaders.

Political circles also raise the possibility that the two could become "competitive partners" who expand each other's political space.

For Chair Kim, Chair Jang is a counterpart who can demonstrate expansion of external relations and integrative politics. By engaging in dialogue with the opposition while maintaining the Democratic Party's position on major political issues, he can simultaneously gain expansion potential toward the centrist base and clarity within the party.

Chair Jang can also enhance his presence as the first opposition party chair by not merely criticizing the government and ruling party but by directly negotiating major state affairs with the ruling party chair.

In particular, Chair Kim's evaluation of Chair Jang as "an essential leader in Korean politics" from the first meeting has the effect of recognizing Chair Jang as a negotiator from the first opposition party while also positioning himself as a negotiator from the ruling party sitting across from him.

Ultimately, the key question is whether "ad-hoc basis" leads to actual constant negotiation relationships rather than merely being a slogan. If scenes of the two chairs meeting directly each time an issue arises, clashing, and producing results on matters where agreement is possible are repeated, assessments suggest that 'two-top politics' could become established as a political configuration.

A political circle insider said, "A political partner is not someone with the same thoughts but someone representing different interests while being able to negotiate when necessary," and added, "If the two chairs, who have recognized each other as negotiation partners, clearly fight on issues where they must fight and produce results on matters where they can agree, there is a possibility that the ruling and opposition political configuration could be reorganized into a 'two-top system' centered on Chairs Kim Min-seok and Jang Dong-hyeok."

전시언 기자 yourside@news-s.kr