Presidential Candidates Continue 'Daejang-dong Allegations' Through Final Debate

OBS-hosted TV Debate
Lee Nak-yeon "Democratic Party uneasy over Daejang-dong scandal, please choose a candidate who is not uneasy"
Park Yong-jin "Do you think the explanation is appropriate and trustworthy?"
Choo Mi-ae "How far do you think responsibility extends?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] The ‘Daejang-dong scandal’ continued until the final debate of the Democratic Party presidential candidates. The candidates launched attacks against Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung.

In particular, former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon, who is chasing Governor Lee, sharpened his criticism and pressured him. In his opening remarks at the TV debate hosted by OBS that day, Lee said, "The Daejang-dong incident has become a burden for the Democratic Party, and the public’s anger and sense of loss are great," adding, "I can’t sleep wondering if we can win the presidential election while carrying this unstable situation. Please choose a path that is not worrisome."

The presidential candidates’ offensive against Governor Lee continued in the leadership debate. Representative Park Yong-jin asked, “If there is political responsibility, you naturally said you would take it and recently expressed regret. Is the explanation appropriate and trustworthy?”

Governor Lee responded, “As you know, I was the black sheep during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations,” adding, “At that time, this project was carried out, and the parties involved were all on the other side. If there had been a problem, there would have been an uproar then.”

He continued, “I wanted to pursue public development, but the People Power Party blocked it, so I had no choice but to take an intermediate form. The People Power Party also benefited, so I don’t understand why members of our party keep blaming me,” he explained.

Former leader Lee Nak-yeon pointed out Governor Lee’s remarks, saying, “I was surprised that in the last debate, he answered that the Daejang-dong issue was a boon for the Democratic Party.” He raised his voice, saying, “The original residents complain that they gave up their land at a low price under the name of public development, and the residents say they had to move in at high prices because the private development did not apply the price ceiling system. Meanwhile, a small number of construction elites received billions in dividends and retirement pay. How should we deal with this situation?”

In response, Governor Lee countered, “This project dates back to 2015 during the real estate recession when house prices fell. Since 70% of the expected profits were recovered, the developer was supposed to take 180 billion won, but during the period until 2018, house prices soared, increasing the developer’s profits,” adding, “The prime minister should also consider the house price surge.”

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae asked, “Where do you see the limits of responsibility?” Governor Lee replied, “As a commander, I must take moral responsibility and bear unlimited political responsibility,” adding, “I will do my best to ensure that such deviations never happen again.” He further stated, “I will take responsibility by reforming the system and strictly holding people accountable.”

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