Lee Nak-yeon Visits Bongha Village: "Meeting with Lee Jae-myung Being Arranged... No Tug-of-War"

Former President Roh Moo-hyun's Eyes Well Up with Tears During Memorial Visit

Lee Nak-yeon, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that he is currently coordinating a meeting schedule with Lee Jae-myung, the party leader.

On the 5th, after paying respects at the grave of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village, Gimhae, Gyeongnam, Lee met with reporters and said regarding the meeting with Lee Jae-myung, "We are currently adjusting the schedule," adding, "There is no tug-of-war as politicians commonly say."

Lee, who returned from studying in the United States on the 24th of last month, followed a schedule that included paying respects at the grave of former President Kim Dae-jung and visiting Gwangju after his return. Due to lingering tensions from the last presidential primary, there have been calls within the party for the two to meet early and promote harmony. However, Lee’s side mentioned the need to restore trust, leading to speculation in political circles about a possible tug-of-war surrounding the meeting.

Former leader of the Democratic Party Lee Nak-yeon is seen paying respects and bowing in silence after offering incense at the grave of the late former President Kim Dae-jung at the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 28th of last month.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoon Young-chan, a pro-Lee Nak-yeon Democratic Party lawmaker, appeared on KBS Radio’s “Choi Kyung-young’s Strong Current Affairs” on the same day and said regarding the meeting between the two leaders, "There is no reason for them not to meet," and "They will meet when the time comes." Yoon added, "After returning, Lee Nak-yeon visited Gwangju and the National Cemetery, and today he is going to Bongha Village and to see former President Moon Jae-in," and said, "There are procedures he believes should be followed, and it is impolite to pressure him to meet before those are completed."

Meanwhile, during the process of laying flowers and incense at former President Roh’s grave, Lee appeared to be emotionally moved, with his eyes reddening. When asked about this, he only explained, "My eyes were a bit irritated." In the guestbook after paying respects, he wrote, "President, please awaken the unworthy future generations so that the Republic of Korea can stand again as a world of principles and common sense." After the visit, Lee went to Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan to pay a courtesy call on former President Moon Jae-in.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.