TV Debate Highlights... "Will Accelerate the Misery of the Homeless" vs "Most Men Live on Their In-Laws' Land..."

Missteps and Unfiltered Remarks Amid Fierce Debate

Park Young-sun Criticizes President Moon's Real Estate Policy
"I Intend to Bring Forward the Sorrow of Being Homeless"

Oh Se-hoon Defends Naegok-dong Allegations
"How Many Men in Korea Would Be So Interested in Their Mother-in-Law's Land?"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] As this was the first TV debate held after the two-party race between Park Young-sun of the Democratic Party and Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party was set, the candidates engaged in a fierce verbal battle. Due to tension, there were slips of the tongue, and unfiltered expressions were broadcasted as they were. Amid the heated debate over Naegok-dong and real estate issues, the candidates’ uncomfortable expressions were also caught on camera.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In the TV debate on the 29th, the candidates from both parties first addressed the real estate issues and policies. Candidate Park made a slip of the tongue, saying, "We want to hasten the house-less suffering of Seoul citizens." What she originally intended to say was that she would help them "quickly escape the suffering of being without a home." However, her words got tangled while criticizing the current government’s real estate policies.

Although Candidate Park had shown no cracks during numerous debates throughout the ruling party’s candidate unification process, she appeared flustered during the tense exchange with Candidate Oh on this day.

Especially during the time for questions on control, when Candidate Oh interrupted her answers, Candidate Park responded somewhat emotionally, saying, "Do Seoul citizens also behave like this?" When Candidate Oh claimed that the 10 major pledges of Candidate Park would require 15 trillion won annually, Park said, "Your calculation is nonsense," adding, "You always act hastily without fully listening to others." On this day, Candidate Park used the word "hasty" several times toward Candidate Oh.

Candidate Oh said that his statement about starting reconstruction and redevelopment within a week if he became mayor was a "metaphor," but was reprimanded by Candidate Park. Oh also generalized his own situation by saying, "Would most men in Korea be interested in prying into their mother-in-law’s land, asking where it is and how much it is worth?"

On this day, Candidate Oh mentioned twice that "we must be humble before memory," deflecting questions about whether he had been at the surveying site. He also referred to the saying Saminseongho (三人成虎), meaning "If three people say there is a tiger, a tiger will appear," saying, "Even if three people are absent, talking about a tiger makes it appear." When Candidate Park asked about the urban regeneration project in Garibong-dong, Guro-gu, her electoral district, "Who did not carry it out? Who was the mayor at that time?" there was a moment of silence in the debate hall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.