Absent at Departure, Now a '90-Degree Bow' to President Lee

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung returned to Korea today, June 18, after concluding his tour of Europe. Democratic Party Leader Jung Chung-rae, who was not seen at the send-off ceremony when the President departed, attended today's welcome event and greeted President Lee with a 90-degree bow. Later, Leader Jung remarked to a fellow lawmaker that life is about "getting wet as you go."

Park Yerim reports.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung returned to Seoul Air Base this morning after a 10-day European tour, which included attending the G7 summit.

The welcome ceremony at the airport was attended by government officials, including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, as well as Democratic Party leadership, such as Leader Jung Chung-rae and Floor Leader Han Byung-do, who had not attended the departure event.

Leader Jung bowed at a 90-degree angle, and President Lee responded with a handshake and a brief greeting.

[President Lee Jae-myung: Thank you for your hard work.]

Leader Jung's absence from the send-off ceremony on the 9th had sparked rumors of friction between the party and the presidential office regarding responsibility for the June 3 local elections. With both Prime Minister Kim and Leader Jung attending today's welcome ceremony, attention is focused on whether these rumors of conflict will subside.

Later, at a general meeting of Democratic Party lawmakers, Leader Jung quoted a poem by Do Jong-hwan, which is being interpreted as an indirect expression of his current state of mind.

[Kim Jeong-ho/Democratic Party Lawmaker: Oh, you must be having a hard time lately, right?]

[Jung Chung-rae/Democratic Party Leader: Where is there a life that isn't difficult? Isn't life about swaying and getting wet as you go?]

President Lee will hold a press briefing tomorrow to discuss the outcomes of his European tour.

Attention is also on whether he will address domestic issues, including the rumors of friction between the party and the presidential office.

(Video coverage: Jung Sang-bo, Yoon Hyung | Video editing: Nam Il)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.