Lee's Relief Appearance Unites Ruling Party
Meeting Held 51 Days After Launch of Election Committee
Honam Support Rate, Ruling Party's Total Rally
[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon will hold a surprise meeting with presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on the 23rd. This meeting comes 51 days after the launch of the election campaign committee.
Despite the Democratic Party's election campaign committee's overtures, Lee, who had been laying low for over two months, chose this day to make his comeback. This is interpreted as an effort to maximize the contrast with the ruling People Power Party, which is experiencing internal strife such as the resignation of its party leader from the campaign committee. The move is seen as a timely decision to demonstrate stable governance capabilities through a clear 'one team' stance, while consolidating support in the Honam region and boosting stagnant approval ratings that have persisted for months.
Candidate Lee and former leader Lee will meet for lunch at a restaurant located in Jung-gu, Seoul. The meeting was arranged and announced suddenly after candidate Lee accepted the request from former leader Lee. It is reported that candidate Lee asked former leader Lee to take a leading role in the campaign committee. From candidate Lee’s side, Assemblyman Oh Young-hoon, the chief secretary, attended, and from former leader Lee’s side, Assemblyman Yoon Young-chan, a close aide, was present.
The reappearance of former leader Lee, who had maintained an ambiguous distance without clear cooperation or opposition, can be seen as the 'final piece of the puzzle' for uniting the ruling party. Recently, former party leader Lee Hae-chan, former Roh Moo-hyun Foundation chairman Yoo Si-min, and former Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun have all actively supported candidate Lee, but former leader Lee’s prolonged absence had drawn attention to the timing and possibility of his return. A second-term Democratic Party lawmaker said, "There was a view that former leader Lee needed to come forward by the Lunar New Year when presidential election sentiments begin to solidify, and by making his move at the right time, he can play the role of a savior to break out of the stagnant approval rating box."
Candidate Lee and former leader Lee fiercely competed and clashed during the Democratic Party’s presidential primary. Candidate Lee won the nomination with a final vote share of 50.3%, but supporters of former leader Lee, who received 39.1%, demanded a runoff vote, leading to a wave of primary election dissent among supporters. Shortly after the party primary, on October 24, the two met at a teahouse in Insadong, Seoul, and met again at the campaign committee launch ceremony on the 2nd of last month. However, former leader Lee, who serves as the campaign committee’s standing advisor, has not appeared at any official events since the launch ceremony.
There was speculation that a 'dramatic meeting' might take place in Yeonggwang, former leader Lee’s hometown, during candidate Lee’s recent tour of the Honam region, but it did not materialize. This led to interpretations such as 'residual bitterness remains' or 'he has not accepted the results.' Some speculated that former leader Lee would not make a comeback as he continued quietly consoling supporters nationwide for months. On the same day, campaign committee spokesperson Assemblyman Park Sung-joon said on the radio, "There were considerable controversies and pains during the primary and general election processes, but it is necessary to embrace those and move forward as one united force," adding, "Through this meeting, we will create such a sentiment among voters."
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