Lee Jae-myung, Bowed Deeply by Citizens, Returns the Bow Saying, "If You Bow to a Servant, It Spoils Their Manners"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, initially waved off a deep bow from a suddenly appearing citizen but eventually returned the bow. On the morning of the 4th, Lee attended an early voting encouragement event with the Democratic Party candidates for the National Assembly at Busan Station Plaza in Dong-gu, Busan. Before the event, a citizen suddenly appeared in front of Lee and the Busan-area National Assembly candidates and performed a deep bow. Lee and the Democratic Party candidates in Busan waved their hands to discourage the gesture, but the citizen did not stop. After the citizen bowed deeply, Lee soon returned the bow.

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung is seen discouraging a woman from bowing deeply while encouraging early voting with local candidates at Busan Station Plaza on the 4th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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After receiving the citizen's deep bow, Lee addressed the gathered supporters, saying, "Please do not bow deeply in the future. When the master bows deeply to the servant, bad habits develop." This was a reference to himself and the National Assembly candidates as servants. In his speech that day, Lee quoted Plato's "Republic," saying, "The consequence of ignoring politics is being ruled by the lowest kind of people," appealing for a vote for the Democratic Party in the April 10 general election.

Lee continued, "Giving up or neglecting is not neutrality. If you give up your sovereignty, someone else will inevitably seize power," emphasizing, "April 10 is not a contest between politicians but a battle where the people must resist and defeat political forces that deny the people's sovereignty, thereby proving that the Republic of Korea is a true democratic republic."

Meanwhile, the citizen's action that day is presumed to be a rebuttal to the remarks made by Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, on the 3rd, who said, "We will not use the strategy of pleading or deep bows." At that time, Han said during campaigns in Jecheon, Chungbuk, and Wonju, Gangwon, "Someone told me, 'Let's do a deep bow at the end of the election like the People Power Party faction used to do,'" adding, "Why bow deeply when fighting criminals? We must stand and die."

On the other hand, Lee Jae-myung, on the same day in the afternoon at Changwon Seongsan District in Gyeongnam, after finishing his campaign, bowed deeply on the market floor together with Kim Ji-su, candidate for Changwon Changwonchang, and Song Soon-ho, candidate for Masan Hoewon, appealing for support.

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