Sim Sang-jung on Yoon's insistence on 'one-on-one debate': "Don't run away... Why can't you follow the law?"

"Debate Eligibility Is Stated in the Public Official Election Act"
"Criteria Set Considering Multi-Party Politics and Equal Campaign Opportunities"

Sim Sang-jung, Justice Party Presidential Candidate / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Sim Sang-jung, the Justice Party's presidential candidate, sharply criticized the People Power Party's proposal for a 'one-on-one debate' between the two major party candidates instead of a multi-party debate, saying, "Don't run away with a shabby trick."

On the 27th, Sim wrote on her Facebook, "Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, Sim Sang-jung does not bite," pointing out this issue.

She stated, "According to the Public Official Election Act of the Republic of Korea, the qualifications for candidates eligible for presidential election debates are as follows: candidates recommended by parties with five or more members of the National Assembly, candidates recommended by parties that received more than 3% of the vote in the previous presidential election, and candidates with an average public opinion poll support rate of 5% or more. This is a legal standard set considering the reality of a multi-party system, the need to activate debates, and ensuring equal opportunities for election campaigns."

She continued, "Yesterday, the court clearly stated that the one-on-one debate without reasonable grounds infringed on the right to equality, the right to participate in debates under the Public Official Election Act, and the voters' right to know. Candidate Yoon, who always says he will follow the law, why can't you follow the law on debates? We cannot help but ask if Yoon Seok-yeol's fairness is denying even democracy," she criticized.

Earlier, the Seoul Western District Court Civil Division 21 (Presiding Judge Park Byung-tae) accepted the injunction filed by Ahn Cheol-soo, the People's Party presidential candidate, against the three terrestrial broadcasters to prohibit the 'one-on-one TV debate.'

The court judged, "Broadcast debates are conducted through TV broadcasts, which have a very strong influence on the general public. Candidates can reveal their qualifications to a wide range of voters to differentiate themselves from other candidates, and voters can compare each candidate to make the right choice."

Yoon Seok-yeol, People Power Party Presidential Candidate / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, Ahn's side strongly opposed the one-on-one debate between the two major party candidates on the 19th, calling it "the tyranny of the two major parties," and submitted an injunction request to MBC, KBS, SBS, and others to prohibit the broadcast of the presidential candidate invitation debate.

As a result, the live broadcast of the one-on-one TV debate between candidate Yoon and Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea is expected to be canceled, while the People Power Party proposed, "Let's hold a separate one-on-one debate not broadcast by the broadcasters."

The People Power Party's TV debate negotiation team held a briefing at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 27th, stating, "We propose to the Democratic Party to hold a one-on-one debate on the 31st at the National Assembly or a third location," and argued, "The court's injunction decision means that debates invited by broadcasters have a significant impact on elections, and holding a debate by mutual agreement without broadcaster invitation is considered acceptable."

They added, "We hope to hold practical negotiations even today to discuss the details related to this."

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