President Lee Jae-myung appeared at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 5th local time wearing a red tie. It was for a South Korea-China summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In China, red symbolizes luck and success, and further, the Communist Party.
President Lee and President Xi both wore blue ties when they met at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju in November last year. At the time, Xi, who was visiting Korea, wore a tie symbolizing the Blue House and the Democratic Party. It was so-called tie shuttle diplomacy. The two leaders reached an agreement on the full restoration of South Korea-China relations.
From the start of the year, so-called tie politics has drawn attention in political circles. Politicians usually wear ties that match the colors of their parties. But some change tie colors to convey their resolve or the political implications of a particular issue. Because ties stand out most in politics, where suits are the norm, many politicians make frequent use of tie politics.
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok also stood at the center of tie politics. On the 7th, Jang wore an orange tie as he unveiled reform measures at the central party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. He reportedly chose the tie color himself. Jang said, "If you agree with the values of liberal democracy and share the aim of stopping the Lee Jae-myung administration's dictatorship, we will open our hearts and join forces with anyone," stressing a conservative alliance.
Jang's orange tie was a hot topic in the press room as well. The point was that Jang, who mentioned a conservative alliance, openly used the color that symbolizes the Reform Party. In fact, an official of the People Power Party said, "Among the commonly mentioned Jang-Han-Seok (Jang Dong-hyeok, Han Dong-hoon, Lee Jun-seok) alliance, it appears Jang will reach out to leader Lee Jun-seok."
The politician making the most active use of tie politics is, unsurprisingly, President Lee. At the New Year's greeting event for 2026 held at the Blue House state guesthouse on the 2nd, President Lee wore a tie mixing blue and red and said, "National unity is the most important and urgent task." By wearing a tie that included both blue, which symbolizes the Democratic Party, and red, which symbolizes the People Power Party, he underscored unity. The absence of the People Power Party leadership at the event undercut President Lee's unity proposal.
President Lee also appeared wearing a white tie at the people's appointment ceremony held in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, in August last year. At the time, the presidential office explained the white tie as meaning "to embrace everything like a blank sheet and make a fresh start."