South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung to host former President Moon Jae‑in for Blue House lunch

President Lee Jae‑myung will hold a one‑on‑one lunch with former President Moon Jae‑in at the Blue House on July 1. The meeting, the first between the two since Lee took office, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and is being presented as an effort to bridge the growing rift between Lee’s faction and Moon‑aligned members within the ruling Democratic Party.

The gathering comes ahead of the party’s August national convention, where intense competition for the party’s presidential nomination is expected. Party officials and observers view the lunch as a strategic move to unify the party’s left‑wing base, improve Lee’s declining approval ratings, and bolster support among the party’s traditional voter bloc.

Both Lee’s wife, Kim Hye‑kyung, and Moon’s spouse, Kim Jeong‑suk, are not expected to attend, as the former is focusing on other duties and the latter is overseas on official business.