Former President Moon tells Lee: 'Party unity is the starting point for national unity'

President Lee Jae Myung met with former President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday to seek counsel on governing, including how to achieve national unity and cohesion within the ruling party. Moon told Lee that "national unity is another defining task of the Lee Jae Myung administration" and that "unity within the party is the starting point" — remarks widely interpreted as advice to mend the recent rift between the presidential office and the Democratic Party.

The two met for lunch at Sangchunjae inside Cheong Wa Dae. On the question of party unity, Moon said the Democratic Party must first unite within itself, then build a broader coalition with the democratic reform camp and the forces that joined the "revolution of light," in order to bring the public together. The remarks were seen as a call to reconcile with traditional Democratic Party supporters, including factions aligned with former presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon himself.

Moon added that he believed Lee was the only person in South Korea capable of achieving unity within the Democratic Party, forging a wider alliance with the democratic reform camp and ultimately bringing the nation together. "I hope you will exercise an even greater leadership and fulfill that dream of being truly a president for everyone," Moon said.

Lee said he agreed. "Internal unity is also very important," he said.

Lee said that, as Moon had noted, governing was not a private endeavor or a matter of personal interest. "At its core, we must govern on behalf of everyone and pursue politics and administration for all," he said. He added that the party needed to "stay solid within" while "constantly broadening its base," and said he was committed to building a structural majority.

Lee said the two goals had to be pursued in harmony. "We also have to keep delivering results to back it up — words alone won't do," he said.

The two also found common ground on balanced regional development. Moon congratulated Lee on what he called "truly groundbreaking achievements" in that area in recent months, and urged him to press ahead with regional development policies — including reaching out to areas that felt left out of the mega-project plans. "Please build a country where talented people in the regions no longer have to flock to Seoul and the greater metropolitan area just for jobs," Moon said.

Moon also expressed hope that the Lee administration would build on the achievements of the Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in governments while filling in what those administrations had left undone. "I promise that if there is anything I can do to help the Lee Jae Myung administration succeed, I will do so with all my strength," he said.

Lee referenced the southwestern semiconductor mega-project, calling it the fruit of sustained preparation and "a new harvest grown from the achievements of our successive Democratic administrations."

Lee said the Democratic camp had become a major force responsible for the entire nation, and pledged to rally all like-minded people so that "no one need worry." He said he would work to expand toward a structural majority on that foundation.