“Our economic level has now reached that of the world’s top 10 countries, but it seems that politics cannot keep up with that level,” said Lee Myung-bak on October 8 while walking along Cheonggyecheon with members of the "Cheonggyecheon Lovers Association" (Cheongsa-mo). This group consists of Seoul city officials who worked on the Cheonggyecheon restoration project during Lee's tenure as mayor.
Lee added, “If politics changes, I believe our Korean economy could grow significantly.” When asked about the current government's management, he refrained from making specific comments but noted, “The president will likely listen to the voices of the people now. Things will gradually improve.”
According to Yonhap News, Lee began his walk at Cheonggye Plaza in Jung-gu at 10 a.m. and covered a distance of approximately 5.8 kilometers to the Seongdong-gu Shindapcheolgyo Bridge in nearly two hours.
Cheongsa-mo holds walking events along Cheonggyecheon twice a year, in May and October. During the previous event in May, which took place ahead of the Seoul mayoral election, there was a commotion when two individuals rushed toward Lee and then-candidate Oh Se-hoon. However, this event concluded without any incidents.
Notably, attendees included Cheongsa-mo President Jang Seok-hyo, former Seoul Deputy Mayor; former Prime Minister Jeong Un-chan; former Presidential Chief of Staff Ha Geum-yeol; former Justice Ministers Kim Kyung-han and Lee Gwi-nam; former Senior Secretary for Public Relations Hong Sang-pyo; and former National Intelligence Service Director Won Se-hoon, among other key figures from the Lee Myung-bak administration. Around 80 former Seoul city officials and citizens also participated.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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