After being postponed for approximately four hours before the scheduled meeting, the first meeting between President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol was called off, giving the transition an abysmal start.
A meeting between the current president and the president-elect has been canceled for the first time since the preparations have been made public, according to the Associated Press.
According to a Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman, "working-level talks have not been concluded at this time," which led to the decision to postpone the meeting on Wednesday. "Consultation at the working level will continue," says the spokesperson.
Yoon's spokesman, Kim Eun-hye, also stated during a press briefing in Yeouido this morning that the two parties had agreed not to divulge the specific reason for the postponement of the meeting.
It was planned that the two leaders would meet privately for a luncheon during which they would address a variety of matters, including the pardoning of former President Lee Myung-bak, the COVID-19 extra budget, and North Korea's missile provocations.
However, a day before the meeting, the battle of nerves between the two parties became more intense.
At his presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae expressed his disagreement with Yoon's plan to remove the position of senior secretary for civil affairs.
After Yoon claimed that the office is "an organization that controls the political opposition of the previous governments and conducts secret investigations on the public," a presidential office official stated that it "does not appear appropriate to use what the current government has not done as a basis for abolishing the office."
A major issue of contention was whether they should have the right to designate high level executives.
In response to Yoon's request that Cheong Wa Dae speak with his team on personnel appointments for public institutions, Cheong Wa Dae signaled that it will continue to exercise its rights in the event of any personnel changes in public institutions.
A senior official in the presidential office told reporters on Tuesday that it is apparent that Moon's tenure in office will expire on May 9, according to the person.
It was previously agreed that the future administration would be consulted before appointing agencies such as the prosecutor general and the National Police Agency, but the rest of the agencies were never addressed, according to the source.
The tenure of Bank of Korea Governor Lee Ju-yeol and several members of the Bank of Korea's Board of Audit and Inspection will expire at the end of March, according to the Bank of Korea.
An official commented on Lee's replacement, saying that given Lee's term would expire during Moon's administration, it is only logical for the Moon administration to assume over.
In addition, Yoon's plan to include former President Lee's amnesty as a significant item on the agenda for the meeting has placed pressure on Cheong Wa Dae, according to a government official.
Originally intended to be a time for congratulating Yoon, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official stated that the meeting evolved into an opportunity for him to "create results" instead. He described it as "a significant strain" on the working group.
Professor Jang Sung-chul of Daegu Catholic University told CBS radio that Yoon's determination on obtaining a pardon for former President Lee "may have placed a little pressure on Moon." Yoon has been under house arrest since his arrest in December.
