‘Myeongnak Meeting’ Cancelled... Lee Holds 'Chain Meetings' with Former Prime Ministers Excluding Lee Nak-yeon (Comprehensive)

Lee's Meeting with Former Leader Lee Nak-yeon Fails at 18th Preview
Meetings Scheduled with Kim Boo-kyum on 20th and Former PM Chung Sye-kyun on 28th
Party Criticism of 'Lee Nak-yeon New Party' Intensifies: "Incomprehensible"
Wonchik and Sang-sik: "Petition Pressure Is Not a Solution"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and former leader Lee Nak-yeon, who officially announced the formation of a new third-party, were expected to meet at a film preview scheduled for the 18th, but the meeting fell through due to conflicting schedules. Although the so-called ‘Myeong-Nak meeting’ between Lee and Lee was canceled, Lee plans to hold a series of separate meetings with former Prime Ministers Kim Boo-kyum and Chung Sye-kyun. Analysts suggest that Lee may be stepping up efforts to check Lee Nak-yeon amid growing criticism within the party against Lee Nak-yeon’s new party. However, some point out that showing ‘harmonious moves’ rather than ‘pressure’ is a priority for party unity, indicating that internal turmoil surrounding the new party formation is expected to continue for the time being.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, Lee attended the VIP preview of ‘Kim Dae-jung on the Road’ held at Yongsan CGV in Seoul and met with former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, who was also invited. Lee told Kim, "I will strive to uphold the path of democracy protected by President Kim Dae-jung together with you."

The preview was attended by Kwon No-gap, senior advisor of the Democratic Party, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, former Democratic Party leader Han Hwa-gap, Kim Hong-eop, the second son of former President Kim Dae-jung, and Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Han-jung and former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae, both classified as part of the ‘Donggyo-dong faction.’ Former leader Lee Nak-yeon was also invited but is scheduled to attend an evening event due to scheduling conflicts, not at the same time as Lee. Some expected that Lee and Lee Nak-yeon would meet and exchange opinions regarding the future ‘new party formation,’ which might ease internal party tensions, but with the meeting canceled, the possibility of a gathering has become even more remote.

Separately from this meeting, Lee plans to meet former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on the 20th and former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on the 28th. It is expected that he will seek their opinions on current issues such as electoral reform and Lee Nak-yeon’s new party formation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee’s recent moves have led to speculation that he is trying to isolate former leader Lee Nak-yeon, who sparked rumors of a ‘Prime Minister alliance.’ Meanwhile, criticism within the party against Lee Nak-yeon’s new party is growing louder over time.

On the same day, the Democratic Party’s extraparliamentary reform organization, the Democratic National Innovation Council, held a press conference at the National Assembly and stated, "We define former leader Lee Nak-yeon’s new party formation as an act that denies the history and democratic procedures of the Democratic Party and strongly condemn it." Earlier, when rumors of the new party formation first surfaced, they had already called for Lee Nak-yeon’s ‘retirement from politics.’

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Democratic National Innovation Council criticized that they cannot understand the reasons Lee Nak-yeon claims for forming a new party. They said, "He says it is because of polarized politics, but during his tenure as leader and afterward, he never once suggested solving the problem of political polarization," adding, "If it is because he is tired and wants to leave politics, that might be understandable, but it is hard to see that as a reason for forming a new party." They explained that the reason of ‘political polarization’ for the new party formation appears to be a ‘false pretext’ to hide Lee’s political ambitions. They emphasized that it is Lee Jae-myung who is trying to change the current polarized politics through dialogue, compromise, and coexistence.

They continued, "Since Lee took office, to restore people’s livelihoods from the tyranny of the Yoon Seok-youl administration, the four opposition parties including the Justice Party, Basic Income Party, and Progressive Party have steadily cooperated legislatively and proposed eight summit meetings to President Yoon," and argued, "The responsibility for political polarization lies with President Yoon Seok-youl and the People Power Party, who treat the leader of the main opposition party as a serious criminal." They further criticized, "Without presenting any political values or vision to the public, only the claim of ‘anti-Lee’ is visible," and said, "The new party formation without any political justification or basis is ultimately Lee Nak-yeon’s vain political ambition."

Democratic Party first-term lawmakers Kang Deuk-gu, Kang Jun-hyun, and Lee So-young have been collecting joint signatures from party lawmakers since the 14th to discourage Lee Nak-yeon’s push for a new party. Various lawmakers regardless of faction have signed, with about 100 signatures reported so far. They plan to hold a press conference as early as this week to announce a statement opposing Lee Nak-yeon’s new party formation.

Earlier, on the 15th, ‘The Better Future,’ the largest lawmakers’ group within the Democratic Party, also publicly demanded at a press conference, "Former leader Lee Nak-yeon should lead the charge in judging the Yoon Seok-youl administration, not plunge the Democratic Party into crisis by forming a new party. We urge him to withdraw the declaration of new party formation."

Amid the spread of opposition to Lee Nak-yeon’s new party, there are also calls for Lee Jae-myung to meet Lee Nak-yeon directly and show a unification effort.

Lawmaker Park Yong-jin wrote on Facebook that day, "While criticizing the push for a new party that symbolizes division, I cannot agree with the leadership’s passive attitude of just watching the process of division unfold." Park urged, "Lee Jae-myung should meet Lee Nak-yeon and immediately meet the four members of ‘Principles and Common Sense,’ a faction critical of Lee. Please do not view the voices of Lee Nak-yeon and ‘Principles and Common Sense’ only as a framework of division but see them from the perspective of concern for winning the general election."

Former lawmaker Lee Cheol-hee, who served as the senior secretary for political affairs in the Moon Jae-in administration’s Blue House, appeared on CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ and commented on the collection of joint signatures by first-term lawmakers discouraging Lee Nak-yeon’s new party formation: "If a significant part of the issues raised by Lee Nak-yeon are valid, there should be efforts to accept and resolve them, but instead, it is just ‘You were wrong, stop it,’ which is really exclusionary. Is that how you treat a prominent politician in the same party? It seems too exclusionary." He added, "What else is there but to tell him to leave? When persuading, you have to make a place for him to return. Although Lee Nak-yeon is rushing and lacks justification, the way the party handles this is wrong, and Lee Jae-myung should step up."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The party’s non-mainstream lawmakers’ group ‘Principles and Common Sense’ also issued a statement that afternoon, pressuring Lee by saying, "It is only proper to consider why former leader Lee Nak-yeon decided to form a new party." They criticized the news of the first-term lawmakers’ joint signature, saying, "If you only harshly criticize, the gap deepens and division becomes a foregone conclusion," and added, "Former leaders Song Young-gil, Chu Mi-ae, and Cho Kuk also talked about new parties but were not criticized or subjected to joint signatures like the Lee Nak-yeon new party rumor."

They continued, "The surest way to stop Lee Nak-yeon’s new party is not joint signature pressure but transitioning to a unified emergency committee," and said, "If Lee Jae-myung wants to prevent party division and win the general election, he should not cling to the party leader position but make a selfless decision and hasten the transition to a unified emergency committee."

As concerns grew that internal party conflict might reach a new peak, the party leadership, which had been lukewarm about the ‘Myeong-Nak meeting,’ showed signs of change. After the morning meeting, chief spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung responded to reporters’ questions about ‘pursuing a meeting between Lee and Lee Nak-yeon’ by saying, "Nothing has been confirmed yet," but added, "It is fair to say that it is being pursued, although it is difficult to say precisely."

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