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National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang with the leaders of various political parties at a National Assembly luncheon on Sept. 5. Pictured from the left are Justice Party leader Lee Jung-mi

The Blue House is extending invitations for nine politicians to attend an inter-Korean summit beginning in Pyongyang on Sept. 18, including the National Assembly speaker and two deputy speakers, five ruling and opposition party leaders, and the chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, it announced on Sept. 10.

The Blue House also announced that the total entourage for the Pyongyang summit would number around 200.

The invitation of special delegations from the National Assembly and political parties was proposed in a Sept. 10 press conference by Blue House Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok, who chairs the preparatory committee for the Pyongyang inter-Korean summit.

“We respectfully ask that they accompany us to this summit in Pyongyang,” Im said.

The Blue House’s invitations are to be extended to National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and deputy speakers Lee Ju-young and Joo Seung-yong, National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee Chairman Kang Seok-ho, Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan, Liberty Korea Party Emergency Countermeasures Committee Chairman Kim Byung-joon, Bareunmirae Party leader Sohn Hak-kyu, Party for Democracy and Peace leader Chung Dong-young, and Justice Party leader Lee Jung-mi.

“At this historic moment of a new chapter opening between South and North Korea – and especially at an important moment with the many denuclearization issues – we hope the National Assembly speaker and deputy speakers and the five party leaders will generously agree to accompany us to the summit,” Im said.

“If they accept our invitation, we will hold sincere discussions with the North so that the special National Assembly and political party delegation can have a meaningful separate schedule,” he added.

Chung Dong-young and Lee Jung-mi sent messages welcoming the invitation.

“We will take part actively in the inter-Korean summit and ratification of the Panmunjom Declaration, leading the way in completing the historical mission of establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the Party for Democracy and Peace said

.

The Justice Party responded, “To have representatives of the National Assembly joining the summit as representatives of the popular will signifies how much the channels of communication are broadening between South and North.”

But Kim Byung-joon and Sohn Hak-kyu both declined to attend. In an official statement, the Liberty Korea Party said it would be “inappropriate to join the inter-Korean summit with only a week left remaining before it takes place and no prior explanation or agenda coordination.” The Bareunmirae Party accused the administration of “putting on a show with its invitations to the ruling and opposition party leaders.” Indeed, conservative opposition parties have been chafing over the Blue House’s decision to openly reiterate its offer even after they had rejected it the day before when it was relayed through the National Assembly Speaker.

Moon Hee-sang, Lee Ju-young, Joo Seung-yong, and LKP-affiliated Kang Seok-ho all said they had decided against attending the summit in order to “focus on attending the regular National Assembly session and international meetings.”

By Seong Yeon-cheol, Lee Jeong-hun and Kim Tae-gyu, staff reporters

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