President Lee Responds to "Stop Harassing Cheong-rae" Comment: "Comrades Who Endured the Night of Insurrection Together" (Comprehensive)

"Let Us Unite the Four Presidents and Move Forward Together"

President Lee Jae-myung explained the recent dinner meeting with Jung Cheong-rae, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stating, "We agreed to meet during a phone call while he was hospitalized, so after attending the UN General Assembly and completing my visit to Mexico, we met for dinner once I returned to Korea."

President Lee Jae-myung is having dinner with Jung Cheong-rae, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the Blue House on the 1st. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On October 3, President Lee made this statement through a post on his personal social media account, adding, "Former leader Jung mentioned after the party convention that he wanted to meet more often."

President Lee's clarification was in response to a netizen's comment regarding the dinner on the 1st, in which the commenter said, "Please stop harassing Cheong-rae. After ganging up on him, bringing him in to say 'We're in agreement' seems too cruel."

President Lee stated, "Former leader Jung and I are comrades who fought together through a period of darkness, death, and threats to our lives, as well as the night of insurrection." He added, "Former leader Jung is someone with his own thoughts and judgment. He was not dragged along by me, nor did I harass him, so I hope there will be no misunderstandings or misinterpretations."

In response, former leader Jung referenced on his personal social media a news headline in which President Lee described him as a 'comrade who fought together through the night of insurrection,' saying, "To the comrades who supported Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in, and Lee Jae-myung, and who endured the night of 12·3 insurrection together: Let us unite the four presidents and move forward together."

Previously, President Lee had personally called former leader Jung last month, who had been hospitalized due to health issues, to wish him a speedy recovery. On the 1st, he invited Jung to the Blue House for a dinner together.

Former leader Jung was involved in conflicts with Kim Min-seok, who identified as a pro-Lee Jae-myung candidate, and President Lee's supporters over policy direction and other issues, during the August 17 party convention, which pitted the pro-Cheong (pro-Jung Cheong-rae) and pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung) factions against each other.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.