Jeong Cheong-rae, the leader of the Democratic Party, publicly proposed a meeting with Zhang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, during a meeting of his party’s Supreme Council held on the 23rd. He emphasized that the discussions surrounding the administrative integration of Daejeon and Chungcheongnam-do were initiated by the People Power Party, which had already undertaken several administrative procedures. Jeong urged that it was now time to clarify the principles, schedule, and procedures required to finalize the vital restructuring of the nation's administrative systems, which he referred to as a long-term national project.

Furthermore, Jeong expressed a personal connection with Zhang, noting that both leaders hail from Chungcheongnam-do. He urged for a collaborative and serious dialogue to facilitate development in their hometown. Jeong also stressed the need to resolve differences and promptly identify areas of potential agreement to present a responsible report to the public, calling for cooperative governance to secure the future of South Korea. He stated that he was open to Zhang's suggestions regarding the time and location of the meeting, hopeful for a constructive response.

In related context, the Democratic Party recently held a policy general meeting where it agreed to adopt legislative amendments concerning the establishment of independent prosecution and the major crime investigation agency as its party position. Jeong stated that their proposed amendments would strictly adhere to the principle of complete separation of investigation and prosecution and that various judicial reform bills, including the establishment of a crime distortion offense, judicial review provision, and expansion of Supreme Court justices, would be processed without compromise during the upcoming parliamentary sessions.