President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with opposition lawmakers after his state of the nation address, raising expectations for cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik shared on SNS a photo he took of President Lee Jae-myung during his state of the nation address at the National Assembly on the 26th, expressing optimism for cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties.

After completing his address, President Lee approached the seats of opposition lawmakers and personally shook hands with members of the People Power Party.

Speaker Woo posted several photos on his Facebook, stating, "After the state of the nation address, the President greeting opposition lawmakers was heartwarming, and it was nice to see all ruling party members standing to applaud, so it's rare that the Speaker of the National Assembly shares two scenes from the Speaker's seat."

Among the photos released was a scene showing President Lee greeting People Power Party member Yoo Yong-won.

Other People Power Party lawmakers around were also seen standing up to prepare to welcome President Lee.

Speaker Woo emphasized in his opening remarks that this state of the nation address was "the first address just three weeks after the President's inauguration and the first state of the nation address since the 22nd National Assembly was inaugurated."

This address marks the first state of the nation address since the opening of the 22nd National Assembly.

It is interpreted as a veiled criticism of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who did not attend the 22nd National Assembly opening ceremony held last September and also missed the budget speech in November of the same year, sending former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in his place.

On this day, President Lee appealed for the swift processing of the supplementary budget (extra budget), emphasizing, "There can be no separation between the ruling and opposition parties when it comes to reviving the economy and people's livelihoods."

"It is crucial to revive the economy and people's livelihoods collectively."

Speaker Woo also expressed hope for bipartisan cooperation, stating, "I hope to promptly form a special committee for budget settlement to conduct thorough and smooth deliberations, providing comfort and hope to the people."

The gesture of cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties raises expectations for a change in the political landscape.

President Lee has emphasized cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties since the beginning of his term. His direct visit to the opposition seats after the state of the nation address was seen as a demonstration of his willingness to seek cooperation beyond political confrontation.

Videos capturing the scene by outlets such as MBC News also showed, as Speaker Woo mentioned, that while President Lee greeted opposition members at their seats, all ruling party members stood up and applauded.

Furthermore, it was captured that Speaker Woo looked pleased as he observed this scene from the Speaker's seat, frequently clicking his camera shutter.

Expectations are growing about whether President Lee's actions during this state of the nation address and thereafter can foster cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties on pressing issues like the supplementary budget processing and whether it can serve as a pivotal moment for ensuring stability in governance amid political conflicts and for solving people's livelihood issues.

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Image source: Speaker Woo Won-sik posted a photo he took on SNS depicting the atmosphere on-site after President Lee Jae-myung's state of the nation address. / facebook 'Woo Won-sik', President Lee Jae-myung greeting lawmakers as he arrives to deliver the supplementary budget state of the nation address at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 26th. 2025.6.26/News1, youtube 'MBC News'