Lee Jae-myung President and Kwon Seong-dong Member, Brief Encounter in the Plenary Chamber

A scene was captured of President Lee Jae-myung having a brief conversation with Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People Power Party, as he visited the National Assembly for a corrective speech on the supplementary budget.

Both individuals are alumni of the law department at Chung-Ang University and have a history of preparing for the bar exam together. It was reported that their conversation also mentioned the confirmation of Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok.

After his address, President Lee Shakes Hands with Opposition Members

On the morning of the 26th, after delivering his speech on the supplementary budget, President Lee greeted members of both the ruling and opposition parties in order. Before leaving the plenary chamber, President Lee made his way to the opposition seats, shaking hands with each of the lawmakers.

During this process, Kwon Seong-dong, who was seated in the back row of the plenary chamber, stood up to greet the president, and the two exchanged brief, cheerful greetings.

While shaking hands, Kwon looked at President Lee's face and exchanged a few words, and President Lee was seen lightly tapping Kwon’s right arm with his left hand, smiling.

“He said there’s no prime minister appointment, and then just said okay and left,”

After leaving the plenary chamber, Kwon spoke to reporters about their conversation. He mentioned, “When I told him that Kim Min-seok's appointment as prime minister is off, he said 'Okay' and tapped my arm before leaving.”

The two have a well-known connection that predates their entry into politics. Being seniors and juniors at Chung-Ang University’s law department, they prepared for the bar exam together and have maintained a relatively amicable relationship in the political arena.

During his time as the leader of the Democratic Party, President Lee has publicly referred to Kwon as ‘senior’ in formal settings, showing his respect.

Image source: News1