President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, shakes hands with Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 11, upon Yoon's return from his three-nation Southeast Asia trip. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) met Monday to discuss a range of pressing issues, likely including controversies involving first lady Kim Keon Hee.

Yoon and PPP chief Han Dong-hoon met for tea at the presidential office, accompanied by presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk, Yoon's office said.

The meeting comes as Yoon and the conservative ruling party seek to recover from declining approval ratings that dipped below 30 percent, as Yoon soon reaches the midpoint of his single five-year term.

Yoon's meeting Han comes amid a growing sense of a crisis within the ruling party as the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has been stepping up a political offensive against Yoon. Some DPK lawmakers have even raised the possibility of impeaching Yoon over allegations surrounding the first lady.

The PPP won two out of the four seats up for grabs in last week's by-elections, delivering what was considered a show of public confidence in Han's leadership highlighted by his commitment to getting to the bottom of controversies surrounding the first lady.

Following the election results, Han has reiterated his call for a reshuffle in the presidential office to sideline those in the first lady's "line," who are allegedly exercising undue influence on state affairs.

The first lady has been accused of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, an illegal receipt of a luxury bag and interference in the PPP's candidate nominations ahead of the April general elections.

Last week, the prosecution decided not to indict Kim over her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme involving Deutsch Motors between 2009 and 2012.

The DPK strongly protested the decision and introduced a bill calling for a special counsel probe into allegations involving Kim. It marked the third time the party has submitted such a proposal, following two previous attempts that were nullified by Yoon's vetoes. (Yonhap)