DP CHAIR VISITS EX-PRES. MOON

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As we briefly mentioned earlier, without attending the New Year's meeting held by President Yoon, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung visited Yangsan Gyeongsangnamdo Province to visit former President Moon Jae-in. The move is seen as an attempt to prevent internal division ahead of his scheduled appearance for questioning by the prosecution. Former President Moon gave support by saying that the DP should overcome economic concerns under Lee's leadership.

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The main opposition Democratic Party held its first Supreme Council meeting of the new year in the port city of Busan. Party chair Lee Jae-myung strongly criticized the Yoon Suk-yeol administration for its violent way of state governance and lack of responsibility amid an economic and security crisis on the peninsula. Stirring up public sentiment, he also said the long-awaited Megacity project is on the verge of collapse while plans to build an offshore airport and host the 2030 Busan World Expo are also in doubt.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(Chair, Democratic Party) : "I hope the gov’t does not make the mistake of burning down the house by trying to erase previous administration’s achievements."

After the party meeting, Lee paid a visit to former President Moon Jae-in, the second since his last visit 4 months ago. During talks with Lee, Moon reportedly took aim at the current administration's incompetence regarding national security. Moon said that despite the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, inter-Korean tensions are rising and the government is not properly responding to North Korean missiles and drones. In addition to the economic and security crises, the two are also known to have expressed concern over the retrograding democracy.

[Soundbite] An Ho-young(DP Senior Spokesperson) : "Moon said the nation’s hard-achieved democracy must not retreat and urged the DP, under Lee’s leadership, to strive for easing of economic concerns."

Lee's courtesy visit to Moon follows his visit to the grave sites of former presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun the previous day to pay his respects. The successive moves are regarded by some as an attempt to prevent internal division and draw support from pro-Moon forces ahead of his scheduled appearance for questioning by the prosecution in a bribery investigation. But, Lee drew a line against such speculation saying that paying visits to former presidents at the start of the year is a matter of identity connected to the roots of the Democratic Party.