President Lee Hosts Dinner with Democratic Party Leadership to Promote Unity

President Lee Jae-myung gathered the new leadership of the Democratic Party and candidates from the party's recent leadership election for a dinner on August 19, emphasizing the importance of unity and teamwork in governance.

During the dinner, President Lee described the party, government, and Blue House as a "community of fate" and "partners in governance," urging attendees to move past conflicts that arose during the party convention and to deliver tangible results that the public can feel.

Hong Ik-pyo, the Chief of Staff to the President, announced in a written briefing that President Lee held the dinner with Kim Min-seok, the newly elected party leader, and former candidates Jeong Cheong-rae and Song Young-gil, along with Han Byeong-do, the floor leader.

The dinner aimed to celebrate the new leadership while also addressing and resolving internal conflicts that surfaced during the party convention.

President Lee congratulated Kim on his election and expressed sympathy and encouragement to Jeong and Song for their efforts in the primary. He emphasized that all three candidates are "comrades who have shared joys and sorrows and are responsible figures in the people's sovereignty government."

Kim proposed an apology for some excessive remarks made during the party convention and suggested that they work together to support party unity and governance.

Jeong stated, "We are comrades who have crossed the line of emergency martial law together, and we must unite our efforts to win the next general and presidential elections as a community of fate with the Lee Jae-myung government."

Song highlighted the need for coordination between the party and the government regarding real estate taxation. He also expressed regret over misunderstandings with Jeong and the controversies that arose during the party convention.

In concluding the dinner, President Lee urged that the party, government, and Blue House are a "community of fate" that shares a historical mission and called for collective efforts to make this year a foundational year for an "irreplaceable Republic of Korea."

All attendees agreed to do their utmost as a "stronger team" to ensure the success of the people's sovereignty government. They committed to closer communication and cooperation in their respective roles to achieve results that all citizens can feel.

The dinner menu also symbolized party unity and solidarity. The main dish, "unified yukhoe," featured ingredients representing the hometowns of the three candidates: Jongno yukhoe for Kim, Geumsan ginseng for Jeong, and Goheung yuzu for Song, combined into a dish of ginseng yukhoe with yuzu sauce. The Blue House explained that the meal signified a call for unity following the party convention for the sake of an irreplaceable Republic of Korea.

The yuzu, known for its health benefits, along with ginseng and beef, reflects President Lee's hope that the candidates, who campaigned across the country, can recover from fatigue and regain their health.

The dessert, a fruit punch, also carried political significance. By combining various flavors and colors of fruit, it symbolized the party's unity in becoming a "capable government and capable ruling party" and aimed to reward the public with "refreshing results" during the hot summer.