On the 13th, a day before the Lunar New Year holiday, leaders of major parties offered holiday greetings. While the Democratic Party of Korea greeted homebound travelers at Yongsan Station, a spot it traditionally frequents, the People Power Party leadership again chose volunteer work and did not visit Seoul Station, as it also skipped last Chuseok. The People Power Party says the purpose is to visit and help those in need through volunteer work, but some say it may be because of memories of the trouble it faced after visiting Seoul Station during last year's Lunar New Year.
Jung Chung-rae, the Democratic Party leader, and other party leaders visited Yongsan Station in the morning and greeted homebound travelers. Jung said, "A year ago we marked Lunar New Year amid an insurrection, and today, a year later, the Lunar New Year we greet after overcoming the insurrection together with the Lee Jae-myung administration feels very different," adding, "I wish you a blessed New Year and hope you receive many New Year's blessings."
In addition to the Democratic Party leadership, lawmakers Han Byung-do, Park Gee-won, Seo Mi-hwa, Choi Ki-sang, Cho Seung-rae, Moon Bok-joo, Han Min-soo, Park Soo-hyun, Kwon Hyang-yeop, and Lee Yeon-hee joined.
Rebuilding Korea Party leaders, including leader Cho Kuk, floor leader Seo Wang-jin, senior supreme council member Shin Jang-sik, and supreme council member Jeong Chun-saeng, also greeted homebound travelers in the concourse at Yongsan Station. Cho said, "The insurrection is over, and we must build the Republic of Korea after the insurrection, but there are many difficulties because of the polarization of income and asset," adding, "We have broken through KOSPI 5000, but we will squarely face the shadows and not forget what role the Rebuilding Korea Party must play."
By contrast, the People Power Party leadership delivered Lunar New Year foods and served special meals at Jungnim Comprehensive Social Welfare Center in the Jungnim-dong area of Jung-gu, Seoul, a district with many single-room tenements, instead of going to Seoul Station. It had been customary during holiday periods for the Democratic Party of Korea to visit Yongsan Station and the People Power Party to visit Seoul Station, but since Jang Dong-hyeok took office, the party did not visit Seoul Station last Chuseok or during this Lunar New Year holiday.
Answering reporters' questions, Jang said, "All this time, every holiday we went to places like Seoul Station to offer greetings to homebound travelers, but in the end it seems we only caused inconvenience to those traveling home," adding, "With the intent to convey our hearts to those in need, we changed to volunteer activities every holiday."
Inside and outside the party, some also say it may be because of memories of the trouble after visiting Seoul Station during the Lunar New Year holiday last year, right after former President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law incident. Ahead of last year's Lunar New Year holiday, then emergency committee chair Kwon Young-se and floor leader Kweon Seong-dong visited Seoul Station, but some citizens refused to shake hands or raised their voices at the lawmakers. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) inside the station also chanted the slogan "party of insurrection."
Jang drew a sharp contrast with President Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party of Korea. Regarding his absence from the luncheon meeting at the Blue House, Jang said, "They said let's cooperate, yet at night they unilaterally pass evil laws that destroy the judicial order and constitutional order—something even an elementary school student couldn't imagine," adding, "I believe the public is watching and that these things are piling up one by one."
Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, released a message via a YouTube video without a separate public schedule, saying, "The Reform Party will end politics of outdated ideology and, without wavering, will press on to practice politics based on science and common sense that doesn't cost money, clean politics," adding, "We will build the soil of politics that is not shameful to the next generation."