President Lee holds first official lunch with former President Moon at Cheong Wa Dae

President Lee Jae Myung sat down Wednesday with former President Moon Jae-in for a luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae — the first official meeting between the two since Lee took office.

The meeting had been in the works since shortly after Lee's inauguration but was repeatedly delayed by a packed schedule of state affairs and overseas trips. No formal agenda was set, but the two are expected to exchange views broadly on domestic policy priorities — including livelihoods, the economy, diplomacy and security — as well as national unity and the international situation.

The meeting is also seen as an opportunity for Lee to draw on the governing experience of a former president at a time when economic recovery, livelihood stability and managing external uncertainty have emerged as the new administration's central challenges. It carries a message of continuity with the policy achievements of previous Democratic governments and a commitment to national unity.

The gathering also comes as internal tensions between factions loyal to Lee and those aligned with Moon have flared ahead of the Democratic Party of Korea's Aug. 17 national convention, and is being read as a move to consolidate party cohesion.

Lee has said since taking office that he intends to maintain open communication with former presidents.

Hong Ik-pyo, senior presidential secretary for political affairs at Cheong Wa Dae, wrote on Facebook that "the achievements of the past year were made possible by the foundations laid by the Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in administrations," adding, "The time has come to build on those achievements and create changes that people can feel in their daily lives."

The lunch menu prepared at Cheong Wa Dae was also designed to reflect the themes of harmony and unity that both the current and former president have long emphasized.

Cheong Wa Dae said the menu was built around summer stamina dishes prepared with Moon in mind, given his fondness for seafood and fish.

A pre-meal tea service will feature traditional Korean confections — including gaeseongjuak, samseongmaejak, apple jeongwa and pear jeongwa — alongside jujube tea.

The main lunch courses include suranchae, mung bean and chicken porridge, buckwheat and cabbage pancakes, John Dory pancakes, zucchini and shrimp pancakes, braised and grilled Korean beef short ribs, bibimbap and croaker soup.

The suranchae — a dish from the traditional cuisine of Andong clan households, Lee's hometown — opens the meal as a nod to both leaders. It incorporates octopus, scallops, abalone, crab meat, vegetables and a poached egg, reflecting Moon's love of seafood while honoring Lee's Andong roots. The mung bean and chicken porridge is a summer stamina dish made with free-range chicken and ginseng. John Dory, a seasonal summer fish from the South Sea, and cabbage pancakes — a personal favorite of Lee's — are served together on a single plate.

The braised and grilled Korean beef short ribs are a hansik dish in which domestic beef is first braised in soy sauce marinade, then grilled over charcoal from Gangwon Province. The bibimbap, served alongside the croaker soup, was chosen to carry a message of unity.

Dessert will consist of an assorted tteok platter and a fruit punch. The punch was composed to blend a variety of flavors in harmony, symbolizing unity and togetherness. It was inspired by a memory from 2017, when first lady Kim Jeong-suk made a fruit punch using fallen fruit from disaster-affected regions and served it to Cheong Wa Dae staff and reporters.