President Lee Makes Surprise Visit to Namgwangju Market After May 18 Memorial Ceremony, Highlighting Livelihood Issues

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[Financial News] After attending the 46th May 18 Memorial Ceremony held at May 18 Democracy Square in front of the former Jeollanam-do Provincial Office in Dong-gu, Gwangju, on the 18th, President Lee Jae-myung visited Namgwangju Market to share memories of the May 18 Democratic Uprising with citizens and merchants and inspect local livelihood and economic conditions.
Deputy Spokesperson of the Blue House Ahn Gwi-ryeong said in a written briefing that day, "After touring the exhibition hall at the former Jeollanam-do Provincial Office, President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung visited Namgwangju Market in Dong-gu, Gwangju, where they listened to the voices of citizens and merchants and had lunch." Namgwangju Market is a traditional market built around the former Namgwangju Station, and it is also a historic place where citizens and merchants shared their pain during the May 18 Democratic Uprising.
The presidential couple walked slowly through the market, shaking hands one by one and responding to every request for photos. They exchanged greetings with citizens who said they had attended the May 18 Democratic Uprising memorial ceremony, and warm words of support and encouragement for the president and first lady continued throughout the market. They bought items such as buckwheat pancakes and a back scratcher to encourage merchants, then had lunch at a restaurant inside the market with a set meal of dried radish greens and braised pollack.
The deputy spokesperson explained, "This visit was arranged so that they could visit a traditional market in Gwangju, where the memory of the May 18 Democratic Uprising is still alive, share the pain of those memories with citizens, and hear directly from merchants who are struggling with the economic slowdown."
Meanwhile, after completing on-site schedules in the regions, President Lee has continued meeting citizens and merchants by visiting local traditional markets. On the 13th, after visiting the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Shipyard in Ulsan, he held the K Shipbuilding Future Vision Roundtable with industry officials and listened to their views on the ground. He then made a surprise visit to Nammokmaseong Market in Dong District, Ulsan, where he spoke with citizens. On the 14th, he attended an on-site roundtable at the Saemaul Undong Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and later visited the Moran Traditional 5-day Market.
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter