"Harmonizing These Two": Message Delivered During Meeting with Former President Moon

President Lee Jae-myung met with former President Moon Jae-in today (July 1) and stated, "Internal unity is also very important. We must be solid from within," adding, "We must strive to create a structural majority while continuously expanding our reach."

President Lee made these remarks during his opening comments at the luncheon with former President Moon held at the Blue House that day, stating, "I believe we must harmonize these two aspects."

He continued, "Our democratic government has now become a major force responsible for the entire nation," and explained, "Fundamentally, as we are in power, we must represent everyone and conduct politics and administration for all."

President Lee also expressed his intention to carry on the achievements of previous democratic governments.

President Lee said, "Beyond former Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Moon Jae-in, the current government of national sovereignty has been established, and we are building another layer upon those achievements," adding, "Naturally, we must nurture what is good, fill in what is lacking, and add new things to continuously build upon the achievements of democratic governments."

He further emphasized, "Looking at it from a more future-oriented perspective, the rebirth of a democratic administration that takes responsibility for this country and the nation, and ensuring that the people and the country can enjoy a better future on that foundation, is our duty and historical mission."

Regarding the achievements during former President Moon's term, President Lee said, "It has been a little over a year since I took office, and many of the achievements you made during your five years have been damaged," adding, "So many things have been broken, ranging from diplomacy, security, and inter-Korean relations to the economy and culture."

He added, "I am focusing on normalizing these issues."

In particular, regarding inter-Korean relations, he assessed, "Meeting with foreign leaders and dealing with inter-Korean relations, I feel that they have been damaged to the point of being irreparable," and added, "It seems to be a situation where the hostility and sense of confrontation cannot be resolved by just a year or two of effort or by changing our stance."

President Lee stated, "It seems that the military pressure on the North to facilitate military coups or self-coups was too great," but promised, "We must continuously pursue the policies of peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas, such as the Sunshine Policy, which democratic governments have pursued. I will ensure they are well continued."

In addition, President Lee told former President Moon, "Thank you so much for coming today," and added, "I had been wanting to hear your advice, and I apologize that the invitation was so late."

He added, "I hope to hear your thoughts often in the future."

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.