President Lee Jae-myung and his wife visited Busan's Namhang Market on Tuesday, purchasing groceries and engaging with citizens. The presidential couple's appearance followed their visit to Busan's Jagalchi Market the previous day and a stop at Gimhae's Oedong Market on the 23rd, continuing their grassroots outreach across Busan and South Gyeongsang Province (PK).
Kang Yu-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, said in a written briefing that the presidential couple visited Namhang Market after attending the 31st Maritime Day ceremony. According to Kang, President Lee asked a seafood vendor, "Do you sell sea pineapple here?" and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung asked while purchasing the item, "Can I eat it as is?" When the vendor replied, "Since it's in seawater, you need to rinse it three or four times," Kim smiled, in a scene of interaction with merchants as the couple checked on conditions for ordinary citizens.
The presidential couple shook hands with citizens one by one, engaging in casual conversation. One citizen said, "The president is so pretty in person," while another said, "I have goosebumps from how glad I am to see her." The couple stopped by clothing shops, fruit stores and vegetable stands to chat with merchants, and purchased blueberries using Onnuri gift certificates.
When President Lee bought a bag of onions and asked, "Aren't onion prices much lower this year because of the bumper crop?" the vendor replied, "Actually, they're so cheap it's worrying." Citizens who met the president expressed their welcome, saying, "Take care," "Nice to see you, Mr. President," "Welcome to Namhang Market," and "We love you." When one citizen called out, "Why don't you come this way?" President Lee changed direction and approached the group to greet them.
Crouching down in front of a vendor selling dandelions on a street stall, President Lee asked, "How much is one basket?" Upon hearing "3,000 won," he purchased 5,000 won worth and continued the conversation. When First Lady Kim asked the vendor about how to cook dandelions, President Lee laughed and said they could be eaten raw, drawing laughter, Kang said. One citizen welcomed the couple, saying, "I've lived here for 60 years, and this is the first time a president has come."
The day before, President Lee chaired a Future Defense Strategy Committee meeting in Jinhae, Changwon, in South Gyeongsang Province, before moving to Busan to visit Jagalchi Market, the region's representative traditional market, with the first lady. As his PK grassroots outreach continues, some in political circles are interpreting the moves in connection with the upcoming local elections. The People Power Party issued a commentary on the president's Jagalchi Market visit the previous day, criticizing it as "blatant election interference reaching its peak."
