NEW PPP CHAIR MEETS DP CHAIR

[Anchor Lead]

Rival parties once again clashed over the bilateral summit between South Korea and Japan. Despite the ruling People Power Party Chair Kim Ki-hyun meeting with Democratic Party Chair Lee Jae-myung for the first time Wednesday after being appointed as the head, DP members protested President Yoon's visit to Japan, saying that it's is tantamount to 'tribute diplomacy.'

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Newly elected People Power Party leader Kim Gi-hyeon visited his Democratic Party counterpart Lee Jae-myung. Although they had attacked each other during the presidential election campaign, the two leaders, meeting under different circumstances, now agreed to work together on improving the quality of the people's lives.

[Soundbite] Kim Gi-hyeon(Chair, People Power Party) : "I’m sure we agree on the basic issue of helping meet the needs of the citizen’s everyday lives."

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(Chair, Democratic Party) : "A common pledge steering group should be founded for prompt legislation and policy-making."

Just when the two party leaders were having a polite conversation DP members were out at the President's office in Yongsan to protest. They denounced the President's recent solution to the issue of forced wartime labor of Koreans as a declaration of surrender to Japan and that his visit to Japan is tantamount to 'tribute diplomacy.‘

[Soundbite] Park Hong-keun(Floor Leader, Democratic Party) : "A tragic situation is being repeated in which the victim country offers everything and makes peace while the perpetrator nation makes the demands."

At another press conference, the opposition legislators escalated their criticism by calling President Yoon as "Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol" and asking him if he's the Japanese Governor General of Korea. The PPP retaliated by accusing the opposition party of trying to divide sides by again singing an anti-government song. As for calling the President Mr. Yoon, the ruling party also denounced the DP members of using foul language even to the president to incite anti-Japanese sentiments.

[Soundbite] Yoo Sang-bum(Senior Spokesperson, PPP) : "The DP’s irresponsible incitement of anti-Japanese sentiments and singing of anti-gov’t song is akin to staying stuck in the swamp of the past."

The DP warned that they will hold a party-wide protest to denounce President Yoon on the day following his return from Japan. Also, the two sides are expected to fight fiercely over the outcomes of the Korea-Japan summit.