"Let Me Meet Moon"... 20s Arrested for Assaulting Pyeongsan Bookstore Employee

A man in his 20s who assaulted an employee at Pyeongsan Bookstore demanding to meet former President Moon Jae-in was arrested by the police.

On the 9th, the Yangsan Police Station in Gyeongnam announced that they had booked a man in his 20s, identified as A, without detention on charges of assault. A is accused of assaulting B, a man in his 40s and an employee at Pyeongsan Bookstore in Habuk-myeon, Yangsan City, at 7 p.m. on the 8th. Pyeongsan Bookstore is operated by former President Moon. It is understood that the crime occurred during a refusal to leave after B requested A to leave as the bookstore's business hours (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) had ended.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

When B told A, "The business hours are over today, so please leave," A suddenly turned violent and threw punches at B. During this incident, A reportedly rambled and asked to be allowed to meet former President Moon. Hearing B's screams, a nearby resident called 112, and the police arrived at the scene and arrested A in the act. The police plan to summon A for a detailed investigation of the incident.

Meanwhile, on the same day, former President Moon met with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, in Pyeongsan Village, Yangsan. The meeting, which lasted 50 minutes from 2 p.m., reportedly included discussions about the Democratic Party's efforts for regaining power.

Former President Moon reportedly said, "I hope the Democratic Party, led by a stronger and more disciplined leadership than ever, actively works toward regaining power," and urged, "Please show proactive efforts not only in livelihood and politics but also in security and defense issues." He added, "The Democratic Party received 45% of the votes in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam during the last general election," and expressed hope that "efforts to broaden the support base for regaining power would also be made." This remark appears to reflect concerns about the party's rapid reorganization centered on the hardline pro-Moon faction, which limits its potential for expansion toward the political center.