Yoon to Have Dinner with Former President Lee Myung-bak and Spouse Next Week... First Since Inauguration

President Yoon Suk-yeol is presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the 30th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol is scheduled to have dinner with former President Lee Myung-bak next week. They are expected to seek advice on state affairs and exchange opinions on various current issues.

According to ruling party sources on the 10th, President Yoon and his wife are set to have dinner with former President Lee and his wife next week. This will be the first time President Yoon has invited former President Lee for dinner since the government took office.

Jung Jin-seok, Chief of Staff at the Presidential Office, is also expected to attend the meeting. Jung served as the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House during Lee Myung-bak's administration.

Former President Lee was granted a special New Year's pardon in 2023 after being convicted on charges including bribery. At the time, the government explained the purpose of the pardon as "creating an opportunity for nationwide unity."

Since then, President Yoon met with former President Lee last August at the funeral hall of Yoon Ki-jung, President Yoon's late father and honorary professor at Yonsei University. While President Yoon had lunch with former President Park Geun-hye in December last year, he has never had an official meeting with former President Lee.

President Yoon is expected to seek advice on state affairs from former President Lee, a senior statesman.

Recent developments, such as Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power being selected as the preferred negotiator for the Czech Republic nuclear power plant construction project, are also likely to be topics of discussion. Former President Lee has experience securing a nuclear power project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2009 during his tenure.

As President Yoon is focusing on securing additional nuclear power projects, it is expected that they will share experiences related to nuclear power exports and discuss ways to promote industrial development during the dinner.

Former President Lee Myung-bak is delivering a keynote speech at the '2024 Korea Economic Leaders Association (KEL) CEO Jeju Summer Forum' held at Lotte Hotel Jeju on the 10th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]