Lee courts undecided voters with pro-business pitch, urges Trump-Kim talks to resume

Against this backdrop, the focus of the Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung today was on the economy and people's livelihoods, hoping to expand his appeal to a broader audience.

Our correspondent Kim Do-yeon reports.

Economic policy was the first message Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung turned to on Thursday, just a day after clearing key legal hurdles facing him before this presidential election.

He held a roundtable with leaders from five major business organizations, including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Korean Industries, highlighting his pro-business stance in a bid to win over undecided voters and widen his apparent lead in the race.

He said the days of the government providing industries with direction and deciding what to do are over.

"We must now place trust in the expertise and capabilities of the private sector, with the government playing a strong supporting role behind the scenes. Without this shift in approach, it will be difficult to overcome the challenges we face.

In particular, I believe it's time for us to stop being a follower and to start leading the way forward."

On top of this, he emphasized that the livelihood of the people was in a dire situation.

And, this to him was the most important aspect of his campaign.

He also tried to ease the concerns of the business leaders that he won't be pushing on 4.5 work days and that there will be plenty of discussion before this actually happens.

After this, he also took to YouTube live to meet with 4 economy, stocks, and real estate YouTubers.

There, they discussed various issues as Lee started the conversation off saying he was a small investor as well.

Meanwhile, he also responded to North Korea's multiple short-range ballistic missile launches toward the East Sea earlier on Thursday.

While condemning the action, Lee also said it's now time to ease tension and open up inter-Korean dialogue.

On top of this, he said the stalled U.S.-North Korea talks must resume.

As for the upcoming official presidential election season, Lee's campaign announced that it will kick off official rallies on May 12th at Gwanghwamun Square.

This is because of the site's symbolic meaning as the site of the "Revolution of Light."

The Democratic Party refers to the process of overcoming the December 3rd martial law and subsequent unrest as a "Revolution of Light."

Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.