President Lee Jae-myung's Chuseok Holiday Public Welfare Activities and Key Appointments: Focus on People's Livelihoods and National Stability
On the first day of South Korea's 2025 Chuseok holiday, President Lee Jae-myung visited a traditional market in Seoul, sharing a bowl of gukbap (Korean rice soup) with citizens and demonstrating his commitment to understanding public welfare firsthand. For American readers unfamiliar with Korean politics, Chuseok is Korea's equivalent of Thanksgiving—a major holiday when families gather and honor ancestors. The presidential office explained that this visit aimed to directly observe ordinary people's living conditions and assess the economic situation during the holiday season.
President Lee engaged directly with market vendors and visitors, listening to their concerns about prices and economic conditions. One merchant expressed gratitude, saying, "We appreciate the president coming to the market personally to hear the voices of small business owners. Business has improved somewhat with the Chuseok rush, but conditions remain challenging." The president responded by promising to strengthen government support policies for small business owners and self-employed individuals.
Focus on Tariff Negotiations and APEC Summit Preparation
Despite the holiday period, President Lee's governance work continued without pause. According to presidential office officials, the president maintained intensive discussions with aides throughout the holiday on major national agenda items including tariff negotiations with the United States, preparation for the upcoming APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit, and solutions to public welfare issues.
Tariff negotiations with the United States have emerged as a critical issue in Korea-U.S. economic relations. Recent news that the U.S. is considering tariff increases on certain Korean products has raised concerns among domestic companies. In response, the president reportedly stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure negotiations proceed in a direction beneficial to both countries based on the Korea-U.S. alliance and economic cooperation."
The APEC Summit scheduled for November is another important diplomatic event. This meeting is expected to address key agenda items including strengthening regional economic cooperation and stabilizing supply chains. The presidential office explained that President Lee will focus on elevating Korea's status and achieving substantial economic cooperation results through the APEC meeting.
Key Appointments: Strengthening National Unity and Electoral Management
President Lee Jae-myung nominated Wi Cheol-hwan as a candidate for the National Election Commission and Lee Seok-yeon as chairman of the National Unity Committee ahead of the Chuseok holiday. For American readers, Korea's National Election Commission is similar to the Federal Election Commission but operates as an independent constitutional body with broader authority over electoral processes. These appointments are interpreted as strategic moves for national stability and unity.
Candidate Wi Cheol-hwan is known as an electoral law expert and is expected to contribute to fair election management and electoral system improvement. The National Election Commission plays a crucial role as a constitutional body ensuring fair elections, and Wi's expertise is expected to enhance the credibility of electoral management.
Lee Seok-yeon, the designated National Unity Committee chairman, will be responsible for coordinating opinions from various sectors of society and promoting national harmony. Some political circles evaluate that the National Unity Committee's role has become even more important as social conflicts have intensified recently. The designate expressed his commitment, saying, "I will do my best to listen to diverse voices and create a society where all citizens move forward together."
Political Controversy: Conflict Between Presidential Office and Opposition Party Surfaces
Meanwhile, controversy has erupted between the presidential office and the opposition People Power Party. Song Eon-seok, floor leader of the People Power Party, recently claimed that Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, coerced conglomerate heads to expand investments in the United States. Floor Leader Song strongly criticized this, stating, "The government's undue intervention in corporate management violates market economy principles."
Chief of Staff Kang immediately issued a rebuttal statement. Kang declared, "Floor Leader Song's claims are clearly false facts," adding, "The meeting with conglomerate heads was for exchanging opinions on economic issues, and there was absolutely no coercion regarding investments." A presidential office official also dismissed the claims, saying, "Respecting corporate autonomous management is the government's basic principle," characterizing it as "merely the opposition's political offensive."
Political experts view this controversy as part of the political tension ahead of next year's general elections. One political scientist analyzed, "The opposition appears to be attempting to rally its support base by attacking the government's economic policies. However, it will be difficult to gain public trust with claims alone without concrete evidence."
Former President Yoon Seok-yeol's Trial and Lee Jin-sook Case: Political Attention
Another focus of political attention is the trial of former President Yoon Seok-yeol and the case of former Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook. The trial of former President Yoon on charges including obstruction of special public duty execution is scheduled for October 10, drawing concentrated attention from political circles and the public.
Former President Yoon's side strongly protests, calling it a "politically motivated retaliatory trial," while the prosecution maintains its position that "we investigated and indicted fairly according to law and principles." The trial outcome is expected to significantly impact the future political landscape.
Former Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook returned to the detention center after completing her second investigation, with a detention review hearing scheduled for October 4. Former Chairperson Lee faces allegations of broadcasting-related corruption, and attention focuses on how the court will judge the legality of the detention. Legal circles predict that "comprehensive review of concerns about evidence destruction and flight risk will determine the judgment."
President Focused on Public Welfare Stability and National Administration
President Lee Jae-myung's Chuseok holiday activities are evaluated as demonstrating his commitment to people-centered governance. A presidential office official emphasized, "President Lee does not neglect national affairs during holidays, but rather observes citizens' lives more closely."
Political analysts interpret these moves as aimed at managing approval ratings while strengthening communication with the public. One expert stated, "The market visit during Chuseok and key appointments are strategies to catch two rabbits—public welfare and national stability. However, he needs to produce substantial results to gain public trust."
The presidential office announced plans to continue focusing on major national tasks including economic recovery for people's livelihoods, national unity, and resolution of diplomatic issues. Attention focuses on what policies and actions President Lee Jae-myung will show after the Chuseok holiday and how they will bring changes to citizens' lives.
Read the original Korean article: 이재명 대통령, 추석 연휴 민생 행보와 주요 인사 단행 - Trendy News Korea
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