South Korean President Lee Jae-myung exchanged greetings with both the leader of the ruling and opposition parties at a commemoration event Saturday, signaling a brief moment of cross-party interaction amid ongoing political tensions. The encounter took place at the 107th March 1st Movement Day ceremony held at COEX in Seoul’s Gangnam district.
President Lee shook hands twice with People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk, though no substantive conversation between the two was observed. This marked the first time the two leaders have been publicly seen together since a planned luncheon meeting on February 12th was canceled.
The President wore a necktie featuring diagonal stripes of red, blue, and white – colors representing both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party, in what appeared to be a symbolic gesture of unity.
During the ceremony, President Lee too greeted National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, Constitutional Court President Kim Sang-hwan, and National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak. He also exchanged greetings with Cho Kuk, leader of the Jo Kuk Innovation Party, and Lee Jun-seok, head of the Reform Party.
The brief interactions between President Lee and Jang Dong-hyuk come after a period of public disagreement, including a social media exchange over real estate policy during the Lunar New Year holiday. One attendee questioned what substantive issues the President might have discussed with the opposition leader.
Following the event, Jang Dong-hyuk posted on Facebook, stating that he was unable to applaud during President Lee’s commemorative speech, as members of the National Assembly were engaged in a filibuster aimed at protecting the rule of law and democracy in South Korea.
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