Emphasizing "Unity" Through Colors During Campaign Rallies and TV Debates
On June 4, as President Lee Jae Myung was officially inaugurated and took the oath of office as the 21st president, the necktie he wore drew public attention. President Lee chose a tie featuring a combination of red, blue, and white colors, which has been interpreted as a reflection of his commitment to "national unity."
President Lee Jae Myung is taking the oath of office for the 21st president at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on June 4, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyun Min
After taking the oath of office at the Rotunda Hall in the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of June 4, President Lee delivered his "Address to the Nation," stating, "Regardless of whom you supported in this presidential election, I will become a president for all, embracing and serving every citizen, in line with the deeper meaning of the presidency to achieve broad unity."
There has been an interpretation that the necktie President Lee wore on this day also carried a message of "national unity." By wearing a tie that combined red, blue, and white?the symbolic colors of both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party?President Lee underscored his intention to promote unity.
From the night of June 3, when his victory became all but certain, until the morning of June 4, when he took the oath at the National Assembly, President Lee changed his necktie a total of four times.
At around 11:46 p.m. the previous day, when President Lee left his residence in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon to greet his supporters, he wore a tie in a distinct blue color, symbolizing the Democratic Party. At that time, he was not yet president but the clear president-elect, and he expressed his gratitude to his supporters in that capacity.
President Lee Jae Myung preparing for the presidential TV debate on May 27, wearing a tie mixed with red and blue colors. Photo by Yonhap News
On the first official day of his term, as President Lee left his residence in Incheon to carry out his official schedule, he wore a tie with diagonal stripes of blue and white. Later, when visiting the National Cemetery to pay tribute to fallen patriots, he changed to a black tie. For the inauguration ceremony, he switched again to a tie with equal proportions of blue, red, and white.
Previously, during the presidential campaign TV debates, President Lee also wore a tie with red and blue stripes. On May 12, the first day of the official campaign, he drew attention by changing into sneakers that combined blue and red colors during his campaign rally.
Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung is wearing sneakers with three different colors at the Central Election Committee launch event and first campaign rally held at Cheonggye Square in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on May 12. Yonhap News
Throughout the campaign, President Lee consistently emphasized the "spirit of unity." In his inauguration address, he stated, "Unity is a sign of competence, while division is the result of incompetence," and pointed out, "Only political forces that lack both the ability and will to change the lives of the people resort to dividing and inciting hatred among citizens to maintain their power." He then pledged, "I will become a president who puts an end to the politics of division."
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