Meeting with Party Leaders

[Anchor Lead]

President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the four political parties held a meeting at the top office and agreed to a all-party response to the security crisis on the Korean Peninsula. They agreed to swiftly establish a permanent consultation body on state affairs involving the government and the ruling and opposition camps.

[Pkg]

President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the 4 ruling and opposition parties discussed national security and other pending state concerns during a two hour dinner gathering at the presidential office. The president and party chiefs agreed on the need for a bipartisan response to the grave security situation on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to promptly set up a standing consultation body on state affairs involving the government and the ruling and opposition blocs.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "If the government and rival parties show unity on the security front, this will offer hope to the public and also contribute to the economy."

Ahead of the dinner, party leaders also laid out respective solutions to the North Korea nuclear crisis. Ruling Democratic Party chairwoman Choo Mi-ae stressed for the establishment of a cooperative system between the ruling and opposition parties. People's Party chairman Ahn Cheol-soo said that confusion displayed by the government's national security team was causing public anxiety amid the North Korea crisis.

[Soundbite] Ahn Cheol-soo(Chair, People's Party) : "For these reasons I had proposed security talks between rival parties several times and raised concern regarding the competence of the national security team."

Acting chairman of the Bareun Party Joo Ho-young called for a multilayered defense network against a North Korea nuclear attack. Justice Party leader Lee Jeong-mi urged sending a special envoy to the North and an overhaul of diplomatic affairs and the national security team. After the dinner meeting, President Moon and the four leaders went over to the National Security Council's crisis management center and were briefed on the security status. This is the third time Moon has invited the ruling and opposition leaders over to the presidential office. Main opposition Liberty Korea Party chairman Hong Joon-pyo again did not attend the event.