President Lee Jae-myung's luncheon with former President Moon Jae-in goes beyond mere courtesy between past and current leaders. The Blue House announced that President Lee would have lunch with former President Moon on July 1 at 11:30 a.m. The significance of this meeting lies in its timing. Within the ruling party, tensions surrounding party direction and leadership have emerged, coinciding with former Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae's bid for re-election. Jeong has already stepped down from his position and is reportedly preparing to challenge for re-election ahead of the August 17 party convention.
Adding fuel to the fire is writer Yoo Si-min's so-called 'expansion vs. reconstruction' theory. Yoo suggested that while the core supporters of President Lee desired expansion, the president seems inclined toward reconstruction. This statement has prompted voices within the ruling party to emphasize the need for unity and solidarity, stating, "Now is the time to be cautious with our words."
However, given the current situation in South Korea, the debate must elevate to a larger level. The issue is not about who represents the core supporters more authentically. The real question is whether South Korea can manage the complex crises it faces, including the AI era, U.S.-China strategic competition, the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, supply chain restructuring, low birth rates and aging, regional extinction, and industrial restructuring. Politics can no longer be confined to internal power struggles. The nation must be redesigned. In this regard, South Korea has entered an era of reconstruction rather than mere expansion.
Of course, reconstruction should not negate the past. The Moon Jae-in administration left behind both assets and limitations. There is pride in democracy from the Roh Moo-hyun administration and a legacy of peace and informatization from the Kim Dae-jung administration. The task for the Lee Jae-myung administration is not to dismantle this history but to restructure the national governance system to fit the new era. Old pipes must be repaired, shaky pillars reinforced, and new floors added where necessary. That is true reconstruction.
Former President Moon's role is significant in this context. He remains a symbolic asset of the democratic reform camp, with his support base still holding strong cohesion. Figures known as 'Moon Jae-in's supporters,' including former Minister Cho Kuk, Kim Eo-jun, Jeong Cheong-rae, and Yoo Si-min, each wield considerable influence in their own ways. If they view President Lee merely as a target for oversight, the Democratic Party will undermine its own strength. Conversely, if they constructively contribute to the success of the administration, the party can regain the stability and expansiveness characteristic of a ruling power.
What President Lee needs now is not blind praise but responsible support and dignified advice. Former President Moon understands the weight and loneliness of the presidency better than anyone, given his experience. Governance is not an election campaign; it cannot rely solely on rallying support. The economy must be revived, diplomacy managed, security upheld, and future industries developed. If President Lee chooses a centrist and pragmatic approach, it should not be seen as betrayal but as a necessity of governance.
Political parties operate on the passion of their supporters, but the state must be responsible for the lives of all citizens. For the Democratic Party to truly survive, it must recognize this difference. The Democratic Party during elections must differ from the Democratic Party in power. The language of the opposition must differ from that of the ruling party. Criticism is necessary, but if it devolves into internal strife, the momentum for governance weakens. Reform is needed, but if it is driven by factional logic detached from the lives of citizens, the centrist electorate will turn away.
The role of former leader Jeong Cheong-rae must also be redefined. Jeong is a politician with strong reformist tendencies and popular appeal. However, the position of party leader is not solely about representing the voices of supporters. It is about supporting the president's governance, mediating internal conflicts, and demonstrating the ruling party's sense of responsibility to the entire nation. If Jeong challenges for party leadership again, the core criterion must be whether it contributes to President Lee's success, aids the Democratic Party's nationalization, and strengthens the national reconstruction of South Korea.
Yoo Si-min's concerns should also be taken seriously. The anxiety and sense of alienation felt by core supporters are not trivial matters. However, the language of politics must broaden. If President Lee speaks of reconstruction, it should not be a reconstruction that drives out existing supporters. It should be a reconstruction that builds a home for all citizens, where existing tenants and new residents can coexist. It must be a home that welcomes the Democratic Party's long-standing supporters, newly attracted supporters, centrists, youth, citizens in the workforce, and those in rural areas.
The state in the AI era is different from the past. Now, the state must be comprehensively redesigned across education, industry, defense, administration, media, finance, healthcare, transportation, and energy. Policies on semiconductors, AI data centers, physical AI and robotics, digital governance, fake news response, regional balanced development, and talent cultivation are not separate issues; they are part of a single national survival strategy. If the ruling party becomes mired in internal disputes during such times, the public will be disappointed. Citizens will ask, "Are you planning to fix the country, or are you just fighting among yourselves over who is in charge?"
Thus, the luncheon between former President Moon and President Lee is crucial. The message that must emerge from this gathering is not mere pleasantries. It should emphasize cooperation for governance success, unity within the democratic reform camp, politics of national integration, and the necessity of national reconstruction in the AI era. Former presidents should assist the current president's success, and the current president should respect the history and support base of former presidents. That is the dignity of politics.
The path for the Democratic Party to survive lies here. The party is not the property of a specific faction. The peace and human rights of Kim Dae-jung, participatory democracy of Roh Moo-hyun, the candlelight government of Moon Jae-in, and the pragmatic reforms of Lee Jae-myung should not be in conflict but should flow together as one great river. If that river divides, the regime weakens; if it merges, the nation moves forward.
What is needed now is not a debate over expansion versus reconstruction. What is needed is the courage for national reconstruction to rebuild South Korea. Old systems must be repaired, broken trust restored, and new growth opportunities in the AI era opened. In this process, former President Moon, President Lee, and those known as 'Moon Jae-in's supporters' must not be in a relationship of pushing each other away but rather one of complementing each other.
For the Democratic Party to thrive, 'Moon Jae-in's supporters' must assist President Lee. President Lee must also respect the assets and support base of the Moon Jae-in era. Former leader Jeong Cheong-rae must look beyond the pros and cons of party leadership to the broader path of governance success. Writer Yoo Si-min must also consider the larger framework of national reconstruction beyond intellectual criticism.
South Korea currently stands in a chaotic world. The boundaries between friend and foe are blurred, and technology, security, and the economy are intertwined. In such times, politics must not shrink. It must be expansive. The Democratic Party must not diminish; it must become a ruling party that embraces all citizens. May today's luncheon between former President Moon and President Lee serve as a starting point for this journey. We must move from expansion to reconstruction, from factions to the nation, and from partisanship to the future. That is the path that South Korean politics must take now.
※ This article was generated using generative AI and has been reviewed by an editor.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.