Presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party said on the 4th that the People Power Party expressed its intention to apologize for the suspension of party rights imposed during his tenure as party leader as part of the 'conservative big tent'. He noted, "There is no significant meaning in actions taken in a rush to restore the parts that have hurt myself and many others in the People Power Party over the past few years."
On the same day, the candidate met with reporters after paying respects at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju. He stated, "It took considerable genuine effort and time to heal the pain of May in Gwangju. Regardless of what judgments they make, we will pursue our own path."
The candidate remarked on the big tent claimed by the People Power Party, saying, "A politically engineered big tent has no meaning," adding, "Even though there is an easier path of merging the three parties, we refuse that path and, like former President Roh Moo-hyun who raised his objections and chose a difficult road, we will stay away from such political engineering discussions with a commitment to steer politics in the right direction."
In response to a question about whether he had contacted Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, who was elected the previous day, the candidate said, "I have not received any contact separately," and emphasized, "At this point, I believe the Reform Party is leading in the competition for what the path to properly restoring South Korea is and what the path to the nation's future is. We will steadfastly complete this election with a victory."
Meanwhile, the candidate visited the May 18th National Cemetery on the same day. Including the candidate, members of the Reform Party delivered handwritten letters to the 1027th anniversary grave sites (775th in sector 1 and 252nd in sector 2). The candidate shared a letter with Jeong Dong-nyeon, chairman of the May 18th Memorial Foundation.
The candidate stated, "The Reform Party aims to sincerely honor the spirit of Gwangju since its foundation and wants to sincerely serve the spirits of the deceased. This year, the party members wrote handwritten letters to each individual," and added, "We will take the lead in creating a democratic nation and restoring politics by revitalizing the spirit of May Gwangju."
Regarding his letter, he mentioned, "I sent a letter to Chairman Jeong. It was taught that when we uphold the spirit of May without distinction between conservatism and progressivism, South Korean democracy will stand firm," adding, "I affirmed my commitment to doing politics correctly, as I have learned."