Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung (R) listens to Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won speak during a meeting with South Korea’s five major business lobbies at the KCCI building in Seoul on May 8, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Thursday stepped up a push to promote his pro-business and economic policies ahead of the June 3 election, capitalizing on eased legal risks following the postponement of his retrial over election law violations.
Lee attended a meeting with the heads of South Korea’s major business lobbies, including the Federation of Korean Industries and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in his first public schedule after the Seoul High Court postponed the first retrial hearing by one month.
On Wednesday, the appeals court postponed Lee’s hearing from May 15 to June 18, giving him a breather as he faces the prospect of his not-guilty verdict being overturned in a controversial land development case dating back to his time as a provincial mayor.
The sentence, if finalized, would bar Lee from running in the election.
With the hearing postponed, Lee shifted his campaign focus to business and the economy, a move seen as an effort to cement his growing dominance in the election.
“The most important task ahead is to improve people’s livelihoods, and reviving the economy is at the heart of this,” Lee said at the meeting. “And at the center of the economic recovery are businesses.
“If you present a path for growth and development, I will actively embrace it and work to turn it into better policies and put them into action,” he said.
Lee’s emphasis on business is seen as an effort to woo the middle-of-the-road and conservative voters.
In March, Lee met with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, followed by consecutive meetings with the heads of the think tanks affiliated with South Korea’s top four conglomerates — Samsung, Hyundai, SK and LG — emphasizing his focus on the business community to make the country better.
Such moves in Lee’s campaign mark a shift from his previous approach, which placed less priority on business-related issues.
Later in the day, Lee was to meet with some 500 officials from workers’ associations representing various occupations, from doctors, nurses and small business owners to taxi drivers.
“Starting with the meeting with business lobbies, we plan to unveil our full visions for the economy and people’s livelihoods,” said Yun Ho-jung, chief of Lee’s campaign team.
Meanwhile, Lee met with business YouTubers and emphasized the need “not to rush” negotiations with the Donald Trump administration over its sweeping tariff scheme.
“Before we play our hand, we need to see what U.S. President Trump’s real card is,” Lee said. “Raising tariffs is not its end goal. Rather, it is using tariffs as a bargaining chip to achieve something else. We won’t know what that is until negotiations begin.”
Lee added that South Korea needs to reach “a deal” with the United States, and local business leaders have called for a joint response by the government and private sector to the tariff issue.
Consultations are under way between Seoul and Washington about the new tariff scheme, as the two nations agreed last month to seek a package agreement on trade and other related issues before July 8, when Trump’s 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs ends.
(Yonhap)
