President Lee Jae-myung had a public dinner with staff from the Presidential Office at a restaurant in Gwanghwamun, Jongno, Seoul, on the 11th. He expressed his intention to focus the government's capabilities on boosting domestic demand and restoring local businesses.

President Lee Jae-myung is having a meal with citizens at a Korean restaurant near Gwanghwamun in Seoul on the 11th. This event is organized to show that the President and the government are taking the lead in revitalizing the domestic economy ahead of the distribution of 'Living Recovery Consumption Coupons'. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

According to the Presidential Office on the 11th, President Lee held an event titled 'Dining with the President, a meal that revitalizes the local economy' with staff at a meat restaurant located in Gwanghwamun from 6:30 p.m. The dining event was proposed and arranged by President Lee himself to promote consumer sentiment ahead of the issuance of recovery consumption coupons.

An hour and 30 minutes before the event, President Lee revealed the dinner location through his social media (SNS), prompting many citizens to gather in front of the restaurant. He greeted citizens while engaging in light conversations and took photos together.

President Lee had dinner with five staff members from the Presidential Office, personally grilling pork belly. The staff members who participated in the event included a dispatched public official who collapsed from overwork and was taken to the emergency room, the officer in charge of returning to the Blue House, preparation personnel for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit dispatched to Gyeongju, and the recruitment officer.

President Lee said, "I wanted to have a meal comfortably with you who have dedicated yourselves in the Presidential Office, where there was neither a transition team nor staff to hand over duties," and urged, "Let’s work together with the sense of mission that one hour of a public servant equals one hour for 52 million citizens." He also asked about the difficulties felt on-site and listened to the staff's suggestions.

After finishing the meal, President Lee joked, "I have to leave work for the staff to leave, so I’m off now." He continued to engage with the restaurant owner, employees, and customers, asking about the economic conditions and prices experienced by ordinary people and small business owners.

President Lee stated, "The government will mobilize all its capabilities to promote consumption and boost domestic demand." He added, "We will seek groundbreaking measures to revive the economy for ordinary citizens and proactively prepare follow-up measures to continue recovering domestic demand," and requested, "I ask you to join in the dining out that revitalizes the local economy."

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