"This Is the First Presidential Election Without Debate"... Can We Watch a 'Policy Battle' on TV During Seollal Holiday?

First Presidential TV Debate Expected on January 31 or February 3
Lee and Yoon, Who Pushed for 'One-on-One Debate,' Show Confidence Saying "Multi-Party Debate Is Also Fine"
Ahn and Shim Say "Justice Prevails," "Justice Has Won"... Also Urge Four-Party Debate
9 out of 10 Say "Broadcast Debates Are Effective for Obtaining Election Information"

The first TV debate for the 20th presidential election is expected to take place around the Lunar New Year holiday period.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As the court granted a provisional injunction to ban the 'two-candidate TV debate' that excluded some candidates, voters' expectations are rising about whether the upcoming multi-candidate debate will allow candidates to compete on policies.

On the 26th, the court accepted the provisional injunction filed by Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, and Sim Sang-jung, the presidential candidate of the Justice Party, requesting a ban on the 'two-candidate TV debate' between the two major party candidates against the three major terrestrial broadcasters. The court ruled, "While it can be considered that the media organizations have discretion over the number, format, and content composition of the debates they host, given the influence of broadcast debates, there should be certain limits set on the discretion regarding the selection of participants."

Accordingly, the first TV debate of this presidential election is expected to be held on either the 31st or February 3rd.

◆ Ahn and Sim: "Justice Prevails," "Justice Has Won"... Lee and Yoon: "Multi-candidate Debate Is Also Fine"

Candidates Ahn and Sim, who were excluded from the debate, warmly welcomed the decision and are pushing for a multi-candidate debate.

At a press conference held that day, Lee Tae-gyu, the head of the People’s Party’s general election campaign headquarters, read Ahn’s statement, in which Ahn said, "The court’s ruling is, in a word, justice prevailing in the end." He added, "The collusion, unfairness, and irrationality of the entrenched two major parties who wanted to debate only between their candidates excluding me, Ahn Cheol-soo, have been sharply criticized by the public. Taking this ruling as an opportunity, we must identify and eliminate unfair collusive elements not only in the election but throughout our society." He also urged for the immediate promotion of a four-candidate TV debate.

Candidate Sim also welcomed the court’s ruling, saying, "Justice has won." On her Facebook that day, she stated, "The voice of the citizens represented by Sim Sang-jung can never be erased, nor should it be. I will shout louder and more desperately the voices of marginalized citizens who are being ignored in this presidential election," and pledged, "I will firmly protect one minute for all the vulnerable and minorities in the debate hall."

Earlier, the two major party candidates who had negotiated the two-candidate debate also expressed that they have no objection to a multi-candidate debate.

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, after announcing labor policies at the Workers’ Welfare Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, told reporters, "Whether it is a four-candidate debate or a five-candidate debate, I hope a multi-candidate debate that provides all candidates with equal opportunities in a manner consistent with common sense and reason as defined by law can be held even now." He added, "Politics must be fair, and naturally, qualified people should receive the same opportunities."

Yoon Seok-youl, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, after finishing a victory resolution rally with lawmakers and local party committee chairpersons in the afternoon, told reporters, "I was looking forward to a two-candidate debate at a time when everyone could watch before the Lunar New Year, but it is very disappointing." However, he said, "I respect the judiciary’s decision. Since the public is curious about the candidates’ policies and positions regardless of the debate format, any format is fine."

On April 28, 2017, at the MBC Studio in Sangam-dong, Seoul, candidates held signs encouraging voter participation before the live broadcast debate hosted by the Election Commission began. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Voters Also Welcome TV Debates... 9 out of 10 Citizens Say "Broadcast Debates Are Effective for Obtaining Election Information"

Voters have expressed regret that no TV debates have been held even with about 40 days left until the presidential election. Even during the 19th presidential election, which was held during the impeachment phase with a short candidate verification period, a total of six joint TV debates were held.

Park, a worker in his 20s from Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, said, "The last presidential debate was quite a hot topic. Especially this election is said to be the most disliked election ever, so I think it could be an opportunity for the candidates to offset that image." He added, "I hope there won’t be excessive negativity regardless of the questions asked by the moderator during the TV debate."

The political circle is paying attention to the impact TV debates may have on the unpredictable current presidential race. In fact, research shows that voters see broadcast debates as an opportunity to acquire election information.

According to the 2017 research report by the National Election Broadcast Debate Commission published by the Korean Political Science Association titled "Analysis of the Effects of the 19th Presidential Election Candidate Debates," 9 out of 10 citizens viewed broadcast debates as an opportunity to obtain election information. When asked, "How effective do you think broadcast debates are in obtaining election information?" 900 out of 1,000 respondents (90.0%) answered "effective (very effective + somewhat effective)."

The report analyzed, "Not only has the expectation for candidate debates as an opportunity to acquire election information increased, but candidate debates have actually played a more effective role than ever in acquiring election information."

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