President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and former President Park Geun-hye converse while taking a walk outside Park’s home in the southeastern city of Daegu on Nov. 7, 2023, in this photo provided by the presidential office. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — President Yoon Suk Yeol traveled to the conservative stronghold of Daegu on Tuesday and visited former President Park Geun-hye at her home, in what appeared to be a bid to unite conservatives ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.
The visit came only 12 days after the two met during a memorial ceremony for Park’s late father and former President Park Chung-hee. It was not on the president’s official schedule and only disclosed afterward.
Park greeted Yoon outside her home’s entrance, whereas during Yoon’s previous visit in April last year, she greeted him inside her home, according to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon.
The two talked for about an hour in the living room, joined by senior presidential secretary for civil society Kang Seung-kyoo, Lee, and Park’s lawyer, Yoo Young-ha.
They began by discussing light topics, such as the weather, Park’s garden and the hill near her home, before moving on to recall the legacy of Park’s father, Lee said.
“I reflect on the running of state affairs during President Park Chung-hee’s time in office and apply the lessons to my own running of state affairs,” Yoon was quoted as saying. “Not only was it interesting to read material from the export promotion meetings (led by Park Chung-hee), I was surprised more than once by how such thinking was possible at the time.”
President Yoon Suk Yeol (2nd from L) purchases water parsley at Chilseong Market in the southeastern city of Daegu on Nov. 7, 2023. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Park served Yoon black tea and milk, as well as persimmon and pear, in consideration of the president’s preferences.
They also took a walk in Park’s garden as the former president explained what the trees and flowers are.
The relationship between the two dates back to 2016 when Yoon led an investigation team into Park’s corruption scandal that led to her impeachment, ouster from office and subsequent imprisonment. The conservative former president was pardoned in 2021 after spending four years and nine months in prison.
This was Yoon’s first visit to Daegu, 237 kilometers southeast of Seoul, since April, when he attended the 100-year anniversary ceremony of Seomun Market, one of the country’s largest traditional markets, and threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game.
The latest visit came months before next April’s parliamentary elections, which could determine the fate of the remainder of Yoon’s term amid challenges caused in part by an opposition-controlled National Assembly.
Before visiting Park, Yoon attended the national convention of the Council for the Better Tomorrow Movement, a civic group established in 1989 with the aim of fostering people’s democratic awareness and promoting national harmony.
The group is known to have close ties to the government and claims some 800,000 members nationwide.
“The Better Tomorrow Movement is a movement to raise the quality of life and create a just society by banishing falsehood and corruption through a national consciousness reform movement,” Yoon said at the Exco convention center in front of some 8,000 attendees.
President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers congratulatory remarks at a national convention of the Council for the Better Tomorrow Movement in the southeastern city of Daegu on Nov. 7, 2023. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
“Let us create an honest and healthy society by banishing corruption, and maintaining law and order. Let us create a warm society that extends its hand to neighbors in need,” he said.
Yoon praised the movement for what he said are its efforts to fight disinformation, saying he believes the campaign will “firmly protect our human rights and democratic politics.”
He also said the government actively supports and roots for the movement’s guiding principles of truth, order and harmony.
After the convention, Yoon visited Chilseong traditional market in line with his recent push to delve deeper into people’s everyday lives and listen to their needs.
He had lunch with local merchants and lawmakers, and reaffirmed his commitment to prioritizing small business owners and self-employed people in crafting policies.
(Yonhap)
