Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Party of Korea, has sought to capture public sentiment in 'PK (Busan and Gyeongnam),' but the mood has turned sour. During a closed meeting with Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun, Lee consistently remained silent regarding regional issues, and Park responded sharply, noting that "(Lee) has been cold to Busan citizens."
On the morning of the 6th, Lee and Park met at the Busan Port Authority's New Port office in Gangseo District, Busan, to discuss local issues. Following their meeting, Lee received an explanation about the status of Arctic route development from employees of the Busan Port Authority.
Esteemed members of the party leadership, including Lee, Kim Min-seok, Jeon Hyun-hee, Lee Jae-sung, Jeon Jae-soo, Lee Won-taek, Lee Hae-sik, and Kim Tae-sun, were all in attendance. Political analysts suggested that Lee has launched this campaign to win over public sentiment in PK with an early presidential election in mind, after a five-month hiatus.
During the initial remarks, Lee and Park appeared to be in good spirits. Park stated, "I believe I came to Busan to listen to the public sentiment and to respond to what Busan truly wants," adding that "the Arctic route is an extremely important issue that is being handled by a task force (TF)."
In response, Lee said, "I will discuss how the southeastern region of Korea can prepare for the Arctic route era centered around Busan."
However, the atmosphere changed dramatically after the closed meeting. Lee did not express his stance on the Global Hub City Special Law and the transfer of the Korea Development Bank, which Park had requested assistance on. Notably, when Jeon Jae-soo, a Democratic Party lawmaker from Busan's Buk-gu, attempted to provide additional explanations, Lee was reported to have left the meeting.
After the closed meeting, Park met with reporters and said, "I came with great expectations, but I am very disappointed," adding, "I came to hear the representative's response regarding the Global Hub City Special Law and the transfer of the Korea Development Bank, but he responded coldly without a word." He continued, saying, "A responsible political leader did not express a stance on regional issues. I feel not only ignored but believe he has been cold to the citizens of Busan."
When asked how he evaluates the meeting with Park, Lee remained consistently silent. He also canceled a scheduled tea meeting with Father Song Gi-in, noted as a mentor to former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in, later that afternoon. The public schedule Lee had planned to regain public sentiment in PK concluded in about an hour, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on that day.
The Democratic Party of Korea has stated that they will review the Global Hub City Special Law and the transfer of the Korea Development Bank, which are pressing issues for Busan. The initial purpose of the meeting with Park was to discuss the development of the Arctic route passing near Russia, not to clarify positions on already pressing issues.
After completing the field meeting with the Busan Port Authority, Democratic Party spokesman Jo Seung-rae met with reporters, stating, "The mayor of Busan might be disappointed about not getting responses that match his expectations regarding local issues; however, it is inappropriate to belittle the Democratic Party for lacking affection for Busan," adding, "We are contemplating the long-term vision for Busan, which includes considerations for the Arctic route." He concluded by saying, "Lee also responded that he would thoroughly review (the local issues in Busan)."