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President Lee Jae-myung visits Eonyang Alps Market in Ulju County, Ulsan, on June 20, following the AI Data Center launch ceremony. / Source: Presidential Office

President Lee Jae-myung on June 20 carried out an unannounced visit to a traditional market in Ulsan, following his attendance at a ceremony marking the launch of a new artificial intelligence (AI) data center. The surprise stop is being seen as part of his effort to boost approval ratings by directly connecting with citizens and opening dialogue with the opposition — a strategy he recently discussed with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, Lee visited the Eonyang Alps Market in Ulju County after the event. At the market, he purchased popular local snacks such as chive pancakes, fried chili peppers, tteokbokki, and soondae at a snack stall, and was seen accepting food from vendors. Several citizens approached Lee to express concern for his health, noting his packed schedule following the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada last week.

President Lee warmly shook hands with market vendors and exchanged greetings with passersby. When one citizen mentioned that the KOSPI index had surpassed the 3,000-point mark that day and thanked him, Lee replied, “Yes, the stock market went up quite a bit.” He reportedly commented further on the train ride back to Seoul, saying, “I hope this is a sign of rising optimism in our domestic market.”

President Lee’s outreach follows a recent one-on-one meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, held during the G7 summit on June 17 in Canada. Sheinbaum, who took office last October, currently enjoys an approval rating near 80%. According to reports, Lee directly asked her how she maintains such high public support.

President Sheinbaum reportedly shared that she spends three to four days each week meeting with ordinary citizens and continuously holds discussions with opposition parties. “Meeting people and talking to the opposition” was, she said, the essence of her strategy.

Following her advice, Lee is expanding his own outreach efforts. After wrapping up his market visit in Ulsan, he is scheduled to host a luncheon at the presidential residence on June 22 with leaders of both ruling and opposition parties. The gathering will take place without a fixed agenda, allowing for open and unrestricted dialogue.

According to officials, President Lee had instructed Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik to arrange the bipartisan meeting immediately upon returning from the G7 summit. The move reflects Lee’s intention to actively pursue consensus-driven governance and improve public trust through direct engagement.