The first of three televised debates between South Korea’s two leading presidential candidates, Lee Jae-myung and Kim Moon-soo, took place as the country’s two candidates vie for president in response to Yoon Suk-yeol’s controversial decision to declare martial law at the end of the year.
A snap election is scheduled for June 3 due to Yoon’s ouster, which has caused political unrest in the country.
Lee, the primary opposition candidate and the frontrunner in the race, received criticism for being too friendly toward China during the heated debate on Sunday. His opponents cited his assertion that South Korea should not become involved in China-Taiwan disputes.
However, Lee, who views pragmatism as a key component of his foreign policy, said that the country “should not go all-in” with its alliance with its traditional ally, the United States, and called for the Korean Peninsula to be de-nuclearized.
He added that maintaining China’s relationship with Russia was crucial, as well as mentioning the need for security cooperation between the US and Japan.
In response to US tariffs, Lee also advocated for more investment in artificial intelligence (AI), protection for unionized workers, and a four-and-a-half-day working week.
Lee claimed during the two-hour discussion that Seoul should not be too eager to reach a trade agreement with Washington.
South Korea is attempting to reach agreement on trade with the US by asking for a 25% tariff relief from the country in April. Seoul was one of the first nations to hold face-to-face meetings with Washington, following Japan’s example.
Lee continued, citing the need for South Korea to grow its high-tech and renewable energy industries in order to overcome the country’s fragile and capable economy.
He said, “We will concentrate on creating so-called sovereign AI so that our citizens can at least use ChatGPT for free, similar to using an electronic calculator.”
Kim, a candidate for the conservative People’s Party, vowed to deregulate and foster businesses while promoting employment.
Kim has also pledged to establish a government agency that will adapt rules and allocate more than 5% of the budget to research and development.
Exports and consumption stalled in Asia’s fourth-largest economy as a result of worries about the impact of Washington’s aggressive tariffs and domestic political unrest.
Kim is far behind with a support rating of 51%, while Lee leads with 51% in the most recent Gallup Korea poll released on Friday.
Lee earlier called for constitutional reform to allow a two-year, four-year system for presidential elections and a two-round system through a referendum. Presidents of South Korea are currently in office for a single five-year term.
He also pledged to punish those responsible for the December 3 declaration and to halt the president’s authority to declare martial law.
Source: Aljazeera
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