South Korea's presidential election: First televised debate sees ruling party candidate and main opposition candidate trading accusations

The first televised debate between the four major candidates for the South Korean presidential election (voting on June 3rd) was held on the 18th of this month. The candidates debated on the topic of economics.
There was also an exchange of accusations between Kim Moon-soo, the candidate of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
Besides Kim and Lee, other candidates who attended the debate were Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party and the Democratic Labor Party.
Kwon Young-guk, a candidate from the Workers' Party. The Central Election Broadcast Debate Committee, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Offices Election Act, selects candidates to participate in the debate based on the number of seats in the National Assembly, the vote share in the most recent election, and the support rate in opinion polls.
The public broadcaster KBS said, "Television debates were first introduced in the 1997 presidential election. Although they are not as popular as they used to be due to the spread of various media,
"It still has a huge influence," he said. The first debate on the day was on the economy. Candidate Lee said, "Sales for self-employed people are declining, and in the short term, the supplementary budget will help boost the economy for ordinary people.
"It is important to take advantage of domestic demand and promote growth," he said, emphasizing, "Without growth, there will be no distribution. In the long term, we will develop artificial intelligence (AI) and renewable energy industries to regain the engine for growth."
Candidate Kim said, "I will completely abolish regulations so that companies can create jobs," and declared, "I will be an employment president and an economic president who will create jobs for the people." Candidate Lee has stated that he will take measures against China.
To counter this, he said he would increase Korea's future competitiveness through policies centered on science and technology. "I will make Korea grow again through education and improved productivity, not through populism that throws money around," he said.
Meanwhile, during the debate on the topic of "trade strategies in the Trump era," candidates Lee and Kim exchanged fierce accusations.
When asked, "As the minister in charge of the previous Yoon Seok-yeol administration, don't you feel responsible for the 0% growth in the economy?" candidate Kim responded, "Candidate Lee Jae-myung said,
If that is the case, I am against everything. That is why the way for the economy to recover was not opened up," he said. In addition, prior to the debate, in a speech in the southwestern city of Gunsan on the 16th, Lee said that he
He mentioned that during his time as governor of Gyeonggi Province, he persuaded shopkeepers who were operating illegally. "(The chicken porridge shop) spent 50,000 won (about 5,200 yen) and sweated for an hour.
Even if they sell it, they only have 30,000 won left. And yet, (cafes) can earn 8,000 to 10,000 won for a cup of coffee, and when they check the cost price,
"I checked and it was 120 won," he said. Cafe owners reacted angrily, saying, "Are you saying we are making 20 times the profit?"
In an editorial dated the 19th, the article stated, "In reality, the cost of coffee beans alone accounts for about 20% of the price of coffee. If you add in the rent for the store, labor costs, and various other incidental expenses, the cost price is much higher.
"Lee Jae-myung's economic outlook is far removed from reality," he said. "If coffee that costs 120 won can be sold for 8,000 to 10,000 won,
"If that's the case, what about the difficulties facing stores right now?" Kim said. During the debate, candidate Kim brought up this statement, saying, "In his election speech, he said, 'The cost of a cup of coffee is 120 won.'
"Is it still 120 won?" Candidate Lee replied, "Words have context. What I was saying was that the price of raw materials for coffee in 2019 was
The presidential election is being held following the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-yeol.
According to the results of a poll released by Realmeter on the 19th, candidate Lee was the most popular candidate for the next president with 50.2% support. This was followed by candidate Kim with 35.6% and candidate Lee of the New Reform Party with 36.2%.
Candidate Lee followed with 8.7%. When asked if they intended to continue supporting the candidate they currently support until the day of the election, 82.3% answered that they would "continue to support them."
While 55.6% of people want a change of government in the upcoming general election, only 39.5% want the current ruling party, the People's Power Party, to continue in power. The survey was conducted on the 14th to 16th of this year, and was conducted among 1,509 people aged 18 and over nationwide.
The second TV debate is scheduled for the 23rd, with a focus on social issues. The third is scheduled for the 27th, with a focus on politics. KBS said, "After the debate, we will
Many "short videos" have been distributed online, and there is a possibility that these videos may affect voters' voting. With former Chairman Lee Jae-myung in the lead, the TV debate is a turning point.
Attention is focused on whether this could become a trend."