박근혜 대통령은 6일 경직된 여야 관계를 풀기 위해 여야-원내대표가 참여하는 5자 회담을 제안했다.
김기춘 신임 비서실장은 이날 오후 청와대 브리핑을 통해 “윗분의 뜻을 받들어 비서실장이 한가지 발표드리겠다”면서 “최근 여야 대표로부터 대통령과의 회담 제의가 있었다. 그동안 대통령께서는 여러 차례 여야 대표와의 회담을 제의했지만 야당의 반대로 여당 대표와만 회담하신 것을 아쉽게 생각하고 계신다”고 밝혔다.
월요일, 새누리당 황우여 대표는 민주당 김한길 대표가 제안한 박근혜 대통령과의 단독회담을 대신해서 박 대통령과 여야 대표가 만나는 ‘3자 회담’을 제안하기도 했었다.
박근혜 대통령이 제안한 5자 회담에 대해서 김 대표는 “생각을 더 해봐야겠다. 천천히 해야겠다”고 말한 것으로 알려졌다.
박대통령은 6일 시행된 국무회의에서 2007년 남북정상회담 대화록 실종을 일컫는 “사초 증발”사태와 관련해서도 입을 열었다.
“중요한 사초가 증발한 전대미문의 일은 국기를 흔들고 역사를 지우는 일로 절대 있어선 안될 일이었다”고 밝혔으며 “우리가 추구해야 할 새로운 변화는 과거 잘못된 관행을 정리하고 기본을 바로 세워 새 문화를 형성하고 바른 가치를 만드는 일부터 시작해야 한다”고 말했다.
국가정보원 댓글 의혹사건에 대해서는 국정조사 특위는 국조 기간을 당초 15일에서 오는 23일까지 8일간 연장하기로 6일 합의했다.
여야는 원세훈 전 국정원장과 김용판 전 서울경찰청장의 증인채택에 대해서는 사실상 합의를 이룬 것으로 전해져, 새누리당 김무성 의원과 권영세 주중 대사 채택 문제에 논의를 집중할 것으로 보인다.
김 실장은 이어 이번 회담 제의에 대해서 “이번에 여야가 같이 국정전반에 걸쳐 의견을 나누고자 하는 것을 긍정적으로 생각한다”면서 “그런데 각종 국정현안이 원내에 많은 만큼, 여야 원내대표를 포함한 5자 회담 열 것을 제안한다”고 덧붙였다. (코리아헤럴드)
<관련 영문 기사>
Park accepts offer of political talks
By Choi He-suk
President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday suggested expanded talks with the leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties, in effect agreeing to Saeunri Party Chairman Rep. Hwang Woo-yea’s suggestion made Monday.
“(The president) suggests five-person talks, including the ruling and opposition floor leaders as there are many issues within the parliament,” new presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon said.
Kim Ki-choon also said that Park suggested meeting the parties’ leaders on several occasions, and that she considers it regretful that she has been able to meet only with the ruling party’s chairman due to DP’s refusal.
On Monday, Hwang suggested that Park meet with himself and DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil as an alternative to the one-on-one meeting between the president and the DP leader.
Saenuri Party’s floor leader is Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, a key member of the pro-Park faction, while the post of DP floor leader is held by hardliner Rep. Jun Byung-hun.
The DP, which had stated that it will agree to the three-way talks suggested by Hwang if Cheong Wa Dae makes an offer, took a reserved position on the issue, saying that the matter needs consideration.
“Kim Han-gil said that he will not be tied down by protocol but the five-way talks is completely different (to Kim’s suggestion),” Rep. Noh Woong-rae, the DP chairman’s chief aide, was quoted as saying by a local news agency.
Although the president’s suggestion could set the stage for resolving the bipartisan deadlock, it comes only hours after Park turned up the heat on the DP.
At Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Park chose to speak about the missing 2007 inter-Korean transcript, without any mention of the parliamentary probe on the National Intelligence Service.
“The unprecedented case of important national records evaporating was an incident that shook the nation’s foundations and erased history. It was an incident that should never happen,” Park said.
While the parliamentary probe into the NIS was launched over allegations of election interference, the ruling party had repeatedly highlighted the 2007 summit in what the DP refers to as an attempt to “water down” the issue.
Following months of accusations from both sides, the parties agreed to view the transcript of the summit to determine whether or not late President Roh Moo-hyun denied the validity of the Northern Limit Line. However, the records were found to be missing, leading to a spin-off controversy with each side accusing the other of removing the document from the National Archives.
As for the parliamentary investigation, the two parties are said to be close to agreeing to an extension of eight days with the DP compromising on the list of witnesses for the time being.
If a final agreement is reached, the probe will continue until Aug. 23, and former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon and former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan will be called to the stand.
Saenuri Party’s Rep. Kim Moo-sung and Korean Ambassador to China Kwon Young-se, who played critical roles in the president’s election campaign, will not be included in the initial list.
The DP, however, plans to push to have the two former campaign aides summoned to the hearing in the remaining days.
As for the NIS’ briefing session on Monday, NIS chief Nam Jae-joon told the lawmakers that he made the decision to disclose the spy agency’s version of the summit records and that he considers Roh’s words to have effectively been a concession of the NLL.
“There wasn’t a statement giving up the NLL (by Roh) but as he agreed with Kim Jong-il’s call to abolish the NLL, (I) regard (Roh’s comments) as giving up the NLL,” Nam was quoted as saying by Saenuri Party and DP lawmakers who attended the session.
(
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
