Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, met with former President Moon Jae-in on the 23rd in Bongha Village, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. Former President Moon reportedly encouraged candidate Lee without mentioning the recent indictment by the prosecution over bribery charges.
Candidate Lee met with Kwon Yang-sook after having lunch in Bongha Village, Gimhae, and told reporters, “(Former President Moon) said this is really an important phase that determines the fate of South Korea” and “He also asked for a strong sense of responsibility to create a proper country where the will of the people is respected.”
Candidate Lee visited Bongha Village on the 16th anniversary of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun's passing. After paying respects at Roh's gravesite, candidate Lee had lunch with Kwon. Attendees included former President Moon Jae-in, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, and former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan.
It's been about four months since candidate Lee met with former President Moon on January 30 after visiting the party leadership in Pyeongsan Village, Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. In the meantime, former President Moon was indicted on the 24th of last month on bribery charges related to allegations of preferential hiring at his son-in-law's airline. Candidate Lee criticized the prosecution, saying, “I can't understand if they are in their right mind.”
However, during the meeting between candidate Lee and former President Moon on that day, discussions regarding the prosecution's indictment did not take place. Nevertheless, there were indirect remarks suggesting that 'abuse of prosecution power' plays a significant role in intensifying conflicts among the people. It was also reported that a consensus was formed regarding the need for prosecution reform.
Cho Seung-rae, the Democratic Party of Korea's senior spokesperson for the election campaign committee, met with reporters after the lunch and said, “There were no special discussions, but unifying the people is the biggest task, and we talked about how abuse of prosecution power played a significant role in animosity,” adding, “Attendees also expressed particular concerns regarding candidate Lee's safety.”
He emphasized, “The prosecution's piecemeal indictments and excessive investigations are political retaliation,” stating, “To overcome the deterioration of the past three years, it is important to properly establish the prosecution's authority.”