President Lee Jae-myung visited the North Korean border area on the 3rd and said, "I will work to move up the day as much as possible when inter-Korean relations improve as soon as possible so that separated families can meet and have warm conversations."
On this day, which was both National Foundation Day and the first day of the Chuseok holiday, President Lee met with displaced people at the Ganghwa Peace Observatory in Incheon and said, "Right now, inter-Korean relations are completely severed, the situation is very bad, and it has turned hostile," adding, "The greatest responsibility lies with politics for making it that way."
He went on to emphasize, "Even setting aside other areas, I hope that verification of life and death and a minimum level of communication will make progress under any circumstances," adding, "I think this is the responsibility of all politics between the two Koreas."
Lee also said, "A moment ago, when I looked over the river, I saw geese flying in a long line," adding, "Animals fly about freely, but only people draw lines, point gun barrels as if to inflict harm if one crosses them, and spend decades that way. It is truly regrettable."
He added, "Hostility between the two Koreas must ease quickly and relations must improve. I hope a mood of communication, exchange, and cooperation will be created so that the grim reality in which even relatives cannot confirm whether loved ones are alive can change."
Meanwhile, at the Ganghwa Peace Observatory that day, Protocol Secretary Kwon Hyuk-ki, Unification Policy Secretary Jeong Dae-jin, Public Listening Secretary Bae Jin-gyo, Spokesperson Kim Nam-joon, and Deputy Spokesperson An Gwi-ryeong were in attendance. From the government, Park Yeon-byeong, director of the Local Autonomy and Decentralization Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, attended.