Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, will hold a dinner with lawmakers serving four or more terms to discuss internal party matters and the political situation.
According to the party on the 30th, Kim will attend a dinner hosted by National Assembly Vice Speaker Nam In-soon near Yeouido in Seoul on Oct. 1, meeting with party lawmakers who have served four or more terms. About 10 senior lawmakers, including Rep. Chung Sung-ho and former National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, are expected to attend. Former party leader Chung Chung-rai is not expected to be present.
The dinner was arranged by Nam to encourage Chung Sung-ho, who recently stepped down as justice minister, among others. Still, with a number of issues facing the governing bloc — including stalled approval ratings for the party and the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as the first head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency — participants are expected to naturally exchange views on the party's situation and how to respond to the political landscape ahead.
Kim has been steadily broadening contact within the party since taking office, holding meetings with lawmakers grouped by the number of terms they have served. After a luncheon with lawmakers of four or more terms on the 24th of last month, he met three-term lawmakers on the 8th of this month and two-term lawmakers on the 22nd. Late last month, he also held a closed-door luncheon with the party's standing advisers, where he expressed his commitment to unity and reconciliation within the party.
Some observers see the moves as an effort by Kim to gather opinions across the party and strengthen the leadership's centripetal force through communication by term group and faction, at a time when internal differences have surfaced over major issues.
