South Korea’s two top presidential candidates, Lee Jae-myung and Kim Moon-soo, traded barbs during a heated first TV debate on Sunday ahead of a snap election set for June 3. The election comes after the dramatic ouster of former President Yoon Suk-yeol in April following his ill-fated bid to declare martial law late last year that shook the country.
Lee, the opposition Democratic Party’s candidate and front-runner, justified his realistic foreign policy position in the face of accusations of being too soft on China. His rivals quoted his past remarks that South Korea need not get itself involved in China-Taiwan conflict. Lee stressed that the balance must be maintained in the relations with China and Russia while also nurturing the security relationship with the US and Japan.
He also called for a conservative method to trade talks with Washington, especially following recent US tariffs. Instead, he called for more investment in artificial intelligence, clean energy, and protection for organized workers. He called for a four-and-a-half-day workweek and a sovereign AI system open to public use, emphasizing that South Korea needs to put innovation above everything to drive its lackluster economy.
Kim, the conservative People Power Party’s candidate, emphasized creating jobs, deregulation, and a promise to spend more than 5% of the national budget on research and development. He also committed to implementing a specialized government agency aimed at simplifying regulations.
Lee, who is ahead in the polls with 51% backing against Kim’s 29%, also demanded reforms to the constitution. These are to establish a two-term presidency, a two-round election, and limiting the president’s ability to impose martial law a seeming reaction to Yoon’s move in December, when he summoned lawmakers for detention on charges of foreign subversion.
The following two debates are likely to further influence public opinion prior to a decisive election in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
