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President Lee Jae-myung and former President Moon Jae-in hold a luncheon meeting at Sangchunjae inside the Blue House on July 1 / Yonhap News

Attention is focused on whether internal strife within the Democratic Party of Korea will subside following a meeting on the 1st at the Blue House between President Lee Jae-myung and former President Moon Jae-in, who shook hands and underscored the need for unity.

The meeting drew intense political interest as it took place amid an overheating race for party leadership ahead of the Democratic Party's national convention on August 17. Some analysts suggested that the current and former presidents stepped in personally to defuse the growing internal friction.

Now in his second year in office, President Lee urgently needs solidarity across the party and the broader democratic bloc to sustain momentum for key state initiatives, including his "three mega-projects" spearheaded by the Honam semiconductor cluster. The growing necessity for a unified message also stems from the upcoming August convention framing itself as a clash between the pro-Lee and pro-Moon factions, with some supporters trading harsh insults online. A recent decline in President Lee's approval ratings has further heightened the need for solidarity within the ruling bloc.

While both President Lee and former President Moon jointly stressed the importance of national unity during the meeting, a subtle difference in nuance emerged regarding how they view internal party dynamics and the realignment of the democratic bloc. President Lee placed relatively more emphasis on "expanding the party's base," whereas former President Moon focused on "solidarity within the democratic camp."

In particular, former President Moon told President Lee, "I hope you exercise broader leadership to fulfill your dream of becoming a president for everyone." This remark sparked speculation that it may have been intended to influence the ruling party's relationship with the Rebuilding Korea Party, going beyond a mere call for internal harmony.

However, Hong Ik-pyo, the senior presidential secretary for political affairs, dismissed reports that specific figures were discussed. When asked if writer Rhyu Si-min, former Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk, or specific measures to bridge the rift between rival supporter groups came up, Hong drew a clear line, stating, "They did not discuss specific individuals or methods."

The meeting also featured amicable exchanges. When former President Moon mentioned a public presentation on the Honam semiconductor cluster and noted that he "felt genuinely pleased watching the event," President Lee deflected credit back to his predecessor, saying, "It was only possible because you laid the groundwork by fostering the renewable energy industry."

The two leaders also discussed prosecution reform and inter-Korean peace. President Lee requested advice and a continued role from former President Moon to improve inter-Korean ties and foster peace on the Korean Peninsula, to which Moon replied, "I will do everything I can."

Regarding prosecution reform, former President Moon cautioned, "While speed is important, please prepare meticulously and thoroughly to ensure that the public suffers no harm." Senior Secretary Hong added, "Both agreed that prosecution reform remains a highly crucial task to advance democracy in our society and prevent the abuse of power by the prosecution."

Meanwhile, President Lee hosted a dinner at the Blue House later that evening, inviting the leadership of the Democratic Party’s floor-negotiating bloc, including floor leader Han Byung-do.

                                                                                                             Hong Sun-mi