Ahn Cheol-soo: "Cancellation of Quantum TV Debate is 'Saphilgwiseong'"... Proposes Four-Party Debate

4-Person Debate Includes Sim Sang-jung, Justice Party Presidential Candidate

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, is giving a greeting speech at the 'People’s Party Nationwide Resolution Rally for Presidential Victory' held on the 26th at Seoul Garden Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, responded with "justice has been served" to the cancellation of the terrestrial two-party TV debate between Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate.

On the 26th, after visiting former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and meeting with reporters, Ahn was asked about the cancellation of the two-party TV debate. He said, "In one word, justice has been served," adding, "Isn't it the court's announcement that the people have judged the collusive politics of vested interests and old-fashioned politics?"

On the same day, the 21st Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Chief Judge Park Byung-tae) ruled that the three terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS should not hold or broadcast a two-party debate between candidates Lee and Yoon excluding candidate Ahn. The court judged that the importance of the broadcast debate on election campaigns is significant. The court explained that this two-party debate "is difficult to accept its legitimacy and should be seen as exceeding the limits of the broadcasters’ discretion."

Regarding this, Lee Tae-gyu, the general election campaign headquarters chief of the People’s Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the same day to convey Ahn’s position. Lee said, "With today’s ruling, the two-party collusive debate has been revealed as a wrongful political act that privatized broadcasting, a social public good, and blocked the public’s right to know. We urge the two parties to immediately apologize to the people," and emphasized, "As presidential candidates, I propose the immediate promotion of a four-party TV debate to determine who has the morality that meets the public’s expectations and who has a proper national vision, strategy, and policy alternatives amid the rapidly changing global trends."

After the press conference, when asked by reporters if there was a preferred date, Lee said, "Since there will be practical consultations among the candidates’ representatives, it is difficult to specify the date or format," adding, "What is clear is that debates must be fair, and unfair acts like blocking other candidates’ participation opportunities, as in this two-party debate, should not occur."

Lee explained that the four-party debate participants would include Shim Sang-jung, the Justice Party presidential candidate. He said, "The reason for mentioning the four-party debate is that, according to the Public Official Election Act’s standards and regulations for debate participation, candidate Shim currently qualifies, so that is why I mentioned it."

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