Second Korean presidential debate marred by more barbs, little substance from candidates

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Second Korean presidential debate marred by more barbs, little substance from candidates

Published: 25 May. 2025, 18:40

SARAH KIM
[email protected]

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

From left: Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, Kwon Young-gook of the Democratic Labor Party and Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party pose for a photo ahead of the second televised presidential debate on May 23 at the KBS studio in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

[NEWS ANALYSIS]

In a second nationally televised debate marked more by invective than vision, Korea’s presidential candidates waged a war of words on Friday night that left little room for meaningful engagement with social issues — ostensibly the night’s topic.

Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party (DP), Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), Lee Jun-seok of the minor Reform Party, and Kwon Young-gook of the progressive Democratic Labor Party participated in the debate, held at the KBS studio in western Seoul and organized by the National Election Commission.

What was billed as a discussion on pressing social issues frequently devolved into exchanges of personal attacks, with the presidential hopefuls veering away from policy in order to dredge up past scandals involving their rivals.

As was the case during the previous debate on May 18, the PPP and Reform Party contenders mostly focused their fire on the DP candidate, who appeared cornered at certain moments while discussing nuclear energy and tax reform.

Fiery personal attacks

Noting that the debate fell on the 16th anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun’s death, the DP’s Lee Jae-myung characterized ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law last year as an ongoing threat to the Korean constitutional order and called for efforts to “create a proper democratic republic, a real Korea.”

But that solemnity was short-lived.

In his opening statement, the PPP’s Kim mocked Lee’s slogan calling for the return of the “real Korea,” asking, “Before that, was it all a fake Korea?”

Kim then suggested Lee was unfit to unite the country given his family troubles, citing his much-publicized feud with a brother he attempted to institutionalize — a scandal that has haunted Lee since his tenure as Seongnam mayor.

Lee expressed contrition in response. “I apologize once again,” he said, acknowledging a “lack of refinement and discipline.”

But in turn, Lee assailed Kim for a 2011 incident in which he allegedly used his gubernatorial position to pressure emergency responders, labeling it “an abuse of power.”

Kim, who took a more aggressive stance compared to the first debate, reminded viewers that Lee faces five ongoing trials and had allegedly used the corporate expenses card issued by the Gyeonggi government for personal purchases — charges Lee vigorously denied as “fabricated” and politically motivated.

The continued flurry of personal attacks eventually led the moderator to remind the candidates to “not deviate from the topic at hand.”

Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, left, greets Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party ahead of the second televised presidential debate on May 23 at the KBS studio in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Conspiracy theories

The night’s second major theme revealed how conspiracy theories — particularly those concerning Yoon’s martial law bid — continue to warp political discourse.

Lee Jae-myung directly challenged Kim to clarify his stance on claims by Yoon and far-right pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon that last year’s general election was fraudulently conducted.

Kim distanced himself from allegations of election fraud, attributing such claims solely to Yoon, though he stopped short of unequivocal condemnation.

Progressive candidate Kwon joined the fray, accusing Kim of enabling Yoon’s controversial narratives. “Yoon, who should be behind bars, walks freely while promoting conspiracy documentaries,” Kwon said, referring to a recent film screening the former president attended.

Meanwhile, the Reform Party’s Lee Jun-seok, who has positioned himself as an outsider to the two major parties, was accused by the DP candidate of plotting a post-election merger with Kim — an allegation Lee dismissed as a “conspiracy theory.”

From left: Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, Kwon Young-gook of the Democratic Labor Party and Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party stand at the podium for their second televised debate on May 23 at the KBS studio in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul. [NEWS1]

Nuclear power and renewable energy

Amid the back-and-forth, energy policy surfaced as one of the few substantive issues discussed.

The Reform Party’s Lee accused Lee Jae-myung of distrusting domestic nuclear power, suggesting that such skepticism was unbecoming of a presidential contender.

Lee countered that his concerns were rooted in fiscal and safety considerations, not ideology. “I never said I distrust Korean nuclear power,” he said, though he highlighted the financial and regulatory costs of long-term nuclear operations.

Kim, capitalizing on the moment, pressed Lee on whether he had ever visited a nuclear facility. Lee admitted he had not, a disclosure that Lee Jun-seok seized upon.

“The fact that candidate Lee hasn’t even visited a nuclear facility shows how ideologically biased and misinformed he is about nuclear energy.”

Environmental issues briefly surfaced when Kwon criticized Lee Jun-seok for omitting climate commitments from his campaign platform. Lee’s response, which was that he would “align [Korea] with international standards,” offered little additional clarity.

Tax cuts, medical reform, gender Issues

Only in the latter portion of the debate did the candidates turn to the social issues that were meant to anchor the discussion.

Kwon asked the DP candidate whether the tax cuts for higher income brackets implemented by the Yoon administration should be reversed. Lee Jae-myung responded cautiously, saying that while he agreed in principle, “a rollback may need to be postponed” given the fragile state of the economy.

Health care policy elicited more direct disagreement. Lee Jun-seok criticized the DP’s call for increased health insurance premiums without a concrete funding strategy, while Lee Jae-myung acknowledged the unpopularity of such a move but maintained it could be achieved under certain conditions.

Gender politics also took center stage. The Reform Party’s Lee condemned the DP’s support for student protesters who opposed Dongduk Women’s University’s decision to become coeducational. Lee Jae-myung shot back, accusing Lee Jun-seok of stoking gender division for political gain.

People watch the second presidential election debate in the waiting area of Seoul Station in central Seoul on May 23. [YONHAP]

Postdebate assessment

After the debate, candidates reflected not so much on their policy prescriptions as on the bruising nature of the exchange.

“There was a lot of groundless slander,” Lee Jae-myung told reporters, singling out Lee Jun-seok in particular. “The debate culture in Korea is still very immature.”

Kim, for his part, was more triumphant. “Everything I shot hit the mark,” he said, while arguing that a candidacy merger with the Reform Party candidate remained possible.

In a postdebate discussion hosted by YTN, DP deputy spokesperson Kang Sung-pil argued that Lee Jae-myung had performed the best out of the four candidates but acknowledged that Lee Jun-seok had managed to maintain a strong showing.

On the other hand, PPP spokesperson Kang Jeon-ae said the overall quality of arguments had improved from the May 18 debate but that Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok had come better prepared.

BY SARAH KIM AND MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]