President Lee Engages with Community Through Rice Planting and Lunch with Former Teacher

President Lee Jae-myung continued his community engagement efforts on May 15, traveling between his hometown of Andong in Gyeongbuk and Gunwi-gun in Daegu.

On the occasion of Teacher's Day, President Lee had lunch with his former elementary school teacher, Park Byeong-gi, and alumni from Samgye Elementary School in Andong before visiting Umusil Village in Gunwi-gun.

Dressed casually in beige pants and a checkered shirt, President Lee arrived at the village, donned a straw hat and boots, and participated in rice planting using a rice transplanter after receiving instructions.

As he loaded seedlings onto the transplanter, local residents cheered, prompting him to respond, "I’m doing better than I thought."

President Lee drove the transplanter alone for over 100 meters to plant the seedlings. While jumping over a muddy path, he joked, "It feels like I’ve worked hard," as mud splattered on his face.

He also observed a demonstration of drone pest control and remarked, "This is much better than what I did," eliciting laughter from those present.

Before the planting experience, he welcomed residents who requested photos, smiling as he said, "This is all part of farming too."

During a break, he sat under a zelkova tree with farmers, sharing dishes like banquet noodles, tofu kimchi, and makgeolli while holding an impromptu meeting.

Additionally, President Lee engaged residents in conversation about the market for agricultural products and the income of the local community.

"Having planted rice myself, I can feel how much effort farmers put in on-site," he said, expressing hopes for a bountiful harvest.

Before his visit to Gunwi-gun, President Lee inspected the construction site for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport in Gunwi-gun and Uiseong-gun, reviewing the progress and conditions of the project, according to Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong in a written briefing.

The site visit was arranged to hear about the challenges in the ongoing process of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport, a major regional issue. President Lee received updates on the project's progress from officials of Daegu City, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Daegu City officials reported that excessive financial costs have arisen in the process of securing funding for relocating the urban military airport for the new airport, warning that risks associated with the prolonged project are concentrated on the city and requesting national-level support.