The ruling conservative Saenuri Party on Friday called the two opposition parties -- The Minjoo Party of Korea and the People’s Party -- to a trialogue to discuss economic bills.

“I suggest we hold interparty talk so as to deal with the bills concerning the people’s livelihoods,” said Saenuri Rep. Won Yoo-chul, floor leader and interim chief, at a party meeting.

“(Opposition parties) should show that their vows to revitalize the economy, to create jobs and to stabilize livelihoods were indeed sincere.”

The tripartite forum is likely to be a six-party talk, involving the leaders and floor leaders of the top three in-house parties.
  The ruling Saenuri Party‘s floor leader Rep. Won Yoo-chul (center) speaks at a party meeting Friday, calling the two opposition parties to a tripartite talk on economic issues. The party’s policy committee chairman Rep. Kim Jung-hoon (left) and vice floor leader Rep. Cho Won-jin (right) cochaired the meeting. Yonhap
The Saenuri Party official thereby referred to the recent remarks made by Kim Chong-in and Ahn Cheol-soo, respective chiefs of the Minjoo Party and the People’s Party.

While Kim said earlier this week that the main opposition party will embrace the government-backed corporate restructuring, Ahn claimed that fundamental structural reforms are necessary in order to create new economic growth momentum.

The ruling party welcomed what seemed to be a conservative and economy-driven switch of the opposition camp, but underlined that pending bills should be prioritized.

“It is only reasonable that the opposition should cooperate in passing the pending economic bills first, if they are to prove the authenticity of their words,” Won said, mentioning the four labor reform bills and the service industry promotion bill.

The corresponding bills failed to pass the floor late last year and earlier this year, due to the opposition‘s claim that they allow easier layoffs and widen inequality.

The ruling party’s offer for the interparty talk was taken as a move to retake the upper hand over the opposition camp on the economic agenda.

“The government and Saenuri have consistently advocated structural reform, but it was the opposition that held back the related bills,” Won said, urging for the passage of the pending bills within the current parliamentary term, which is to end in late May.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)