Lee looks to rebuild political momentum following diplomatic trip

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with senior presidential secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung appears to be trying to restore political momentum after returning from a 10-day diplomatic tour of Europe, Thursday, amid declining approval ratings and tensions within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

On Friday, the president convened a press briefing on the outcome of diplomatic trip, which concluded Thursday, and also a meeting with senior presidential secretaries.

The briefing was held amid speculation that the president believed the achievements of his trip had been overshadowed by domestic political issues, leading him to personally present the results instead of delegating the task to aides, as is customary.

Meanwhile, Friday's meeting with senior presidential secretaries followed a previous gathering with corresponding aides in Seoul, Sunday, while Lee was in Italy for a state visit.

Such a meeting was unprecedented, prompting speculation that Lee remained focused on developments at home even while abroad amid the fallout from the June 3 local elections.

The DPK won most of the mayoral and gubernatorial races nationwide but lost the Seoul mayoral race, widely regarded as a bellwether for national elections.

The outcome, coupled with defeats in closely watched battleground districts in the parliamentary by-elections held concurrently with the local elections, fueled tensions between Lee and DPK Chairman Jung Chung-rae.

It also led to a slide in the president's approval ratings in the weeks following the local elections.

“I wouldn't say domestic developments had no impact. To be honest, it was quite disappointing,” the president said when asked about his decision to hold a press briefing on the outcome of his diplomatic trip.

As for his approval rating, Lee recognized that “we have to take that very seriously as it reflects the public's assessment.”

“More people may simply be dissatisfied with President Lee Jae Myung. More people may also be dissatisfied with the ruling party. That's the cold reality, and we have to accept it. Ultimately, I have to take full responsibility for it,” Lee said.

Lee went on to say that his administration would work harder to address the reasons behind his declining public approval.

Adding pressure on the president is a ballot shortage controversy that has eroded public trust in the electoral process.

During the meeting with his senior aides, the president addressed the controversy and stressed the need to prevent a recurrence, saying, “We must resolve this issue and take steps to ensure that it never happens again.”

“An infringement on voting rights that the public simply cannot understand has occurred, and many people are outraged by it. I find the situation deeply regrettable,” he said.

Lee added that ongoing rallies protesting the bungled election management should be fully protected as long as they remain peaceful.

He, however, warned that any violence and disinformation exploiting such gatherings must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable.