Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl to Face Off in 'TV Debate' Before Lunar New Year... Ahn Cheol-soo and Shim Sang-jung Protest (Comprehensive)

Democratic Party "Will Accept Even If a 4-Party Debate Proposal Comes"
Ahn Cheol-soo and Sim Sang-jung Both Oppose

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] As Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Seok-yeol of the People Power Party agreed to hold a bilateral TV debate before the Lunar New Year holiday, candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Shim Sang-jung protested, calling it the tyranny of the two major parties.

Park Joo-min, head of the Democratic Party’s campaign broadcasting debate content team, and Seong Il-jong of the People Power Party stated on the afternoon of the 13th at the National Assembly during the '3-on-3 working-level negotiation team' meeting that they reached this consensus. They decided to hold the debate in the form of a joint invitation debate by terrestrial broadcasters. The topic will cover all current national issues.

Regarding the reason for agreeing to a bilateral debate, Park Joo-min said, "Since the two parties met for a meeting, it was difficult to discuss debates involving other parties, but the Democratic Party’s position is that even if a four-party debate proposal is made, we will accept it."

Seong Il-jong said, "In the case of a multi-party debate, we need to look at the candidates’ schedules," adding, "Since this debate is held before the official three legal debates, the decision will be made considering various schedules."

The working-level negotiation teams of the two major parties also agreed to proceed with the bilateral debate agreed upon that day, even if a multi-party debate is promoted in the future.

The People Party’s candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, who has recently been gaining in the polls, strongly opposed the decision. Hong Kyung-hee, spokesperson for the campaign, said in a statement, "With less than 60 days left until the presidential election, an artificial political deal was made to change the three-party structure created by the people into a two-party structure," calling it "the unilateral tyranny of the two major parties without any special reason or justification."

The Justice Party’s candidate Shim Sang-jung also protested. A Justice Party official emphasized, "In past presidential elections, TV debates have been organized by broadcasters or the National Election Commission, which set the rules and invited candidates in a multi-party debate format," adding, "It is inappropriate for the two major parties to decide the TV debate format through negotiations."

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