President Yoon Suk Yeol offers a brief handshake to Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Oct. 31, 2023, before the 2024 budget address. Courtesy of presidential office

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), will have their first official meeting on Monday, as the two sides agreed that a prompt face-to-face discussion was necessary to address pending state affairs.

The meeting will be held 10 days after Yoon proposed it to Lee during a phone conversation, after the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) crushing defeat in the April 10 general elections. The two sides have had difficulties arranging the meeting, due mainly to different opinions on topics to be discussed.

Senior presidential secretary for political affairs Hong Chul-ho said in a press briefing, Friday, that Yoon and Lee will meet at the presidential office at 2 p.m. Monday.

From the president's side, presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk, Hong and senior secretary for public relations Lee Do-woon will accompany Yoon. From Lee's side, his chief of staff Cheon Jun-ho, DPK policy committee head Rep. Jin Sung-joon and DPK spokesperson Rep. Park Sung-joon will join the talks.

Senior presidential secretary for political affairs Hong Chul-ho speaks about a scheduled meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, during a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

"The two sides agreed to hold the meeting at 2 p.m., Monday, following the president's intention to hear a lot from Lee, and the chairman's intention to meet the president promptly regardless of topics (to be discussed)," Hong said after the third working-level negotiations for the Yoon-Lee talks.

"We expect the meeting will be a candid conversation between the president and the main opposition party leader, providing an opportunity to address grassroots economic issues and resolve pending state affairs."

Hong said the meeting was planned to last for an hour, but will likely be extended as Yoon and Lee will share their opinions on various matters. After the meeting, the two sides will release a joint statement.

The arrangement came after a week-long tug-of-war between the presidential office and the DPK.

After the PPP's defeat in the general elections, Yoon extended an invitation to Lee for an official meeting to be held within a week if possible.

However, the two sides only displayed their stark differences in working-level negotiations on the discussion topics. While the presidential office claimed that the meeting should be open to conversations on various matters, the DPK wanted to urge the president to support Lee's election promise of providing a 250,000 won ($180) subsidy for every citizen, accept a special counsel probe into the death of a Marine and apologize for vetoing several bills endorsed by the DPK.

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during the party's Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

The preparations picked up speed on Friday, as the DPK chairman accepted the presidential office's request to hold the meeting without prearranged topics.

"I'll put aside everything and meet the president first," Lee said during a DPK Supreme Council meeting.

"Since the meeting is a rare event, we have to arrange the topics and various other aspects beforehand, but the processes are not going smoothly. So, I will meet with the president and accurately convey the public sentiment revealed in the general elections. Also, I will deliver the harsh realities of people's lives and request the president to take necessary measures."

Just hours later, the presidential office released a statement that it "welcomes Lee's answer to Yoon's invitation for talks" and "will immediately engage in preparations."

Despite their agreement on open topics, chances are high that the DPK will bring the aforementioned issues up at the meeting and put pressure on Yoon to accept them.

"Since Lee made a significant concession, I urge the president to make a sincere decision. It takes two to make an agreement," DPK Supreme Council member Rep. Jung Chung-rae said during the council meeting.

Another council member Rep. Seo Young-kyo also said, "I earnestly request (the president) to return taxpayers' money back to the people for the recovery of the public livelihoods," in reference to the 250,000 won subsidy program.

Among opposition politicians, concerns are already growing that the meeting may end without tangible outcomes.

"Whenever meeting President Yoon, you have to clearly set what will be the topics," minor opposition Reform Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok, who was a former PPP head, told reporters. "I have experiences of meeting Yoon without pre-established topics, and that didn't bring any outcomes."

The Reform Party chief had been the PPP chief when Yoon was the party's presidential candidate in early 2022. Lee boycotted Yoon's campaign after Yoon's close associates leveled criticisms against the chairman, but the two reconciled after a closed-door meeting.

After Yoon took office, Lee was ousted from the PPP chairmanship, upon criticisms from Yoon loyalists. The young politician ended up becoming a vocal critic of Yoon.