"If I were the party leader, there wouldn't have been a martial law or impeachment. The person representing the party kept picking fights with the president, so would the president be able to endure that?" (Hong Joon-pyo)
"Those who flattered the president while being next to him, like Candidate Hong, are responsible for the martial law." (Han Dong-hoon)
As the People Power Party's presidential primary race reached a turning point, on the 25th, Han Dong-hoon and Hong Joon-pyo engaged in a heated debate over responsibility regarding the '12·3 martial law incident' and the impeachment crisis.
With speculation rising that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's declaration of candidacy is imminent, he also expressed a 'friendly' position towards unification with the Prime Minister.
The two candidates named each other during the People Power Party's presidential primary 'one-on-one showdown debate,' engaging in a 3-hour debate split into 1 hour and 30 minutes each.
◇ Hong "The party leader's nagging led to martial law," Han "The responsibility lies with Hong who flattered."
Candidate Hong said, "If I were the party leader, no matter how upset I was, I would have tried to stabilize the situation by cooperating with the president," shifting the blame for the martial law onto Candidate Han.
In response, Candidate Han remarked, "I say that I am someone who prevented the martial law," and added, "A conservative party must have a sense of responsibility."
Candidate Han challenged, "Do you still think of the martial law as a 2-hour incident?" He pointed out, "I met many citizens in Daegu, and they said that the lives of small business owners have become difficult. The exchange rate has skyrocketed, is it just an incident?"
Candidate Han indicated that it was contradictory for Candidate Hong to oppose impeachment while also preparing for an early election, such as preparing the campaign office. To this, Candidate Hong replied, "I thought it would be difficult for the president to carry out functions anyway, even if he returns. Therefore, I believed an early election was inevitable."
◇ The negative campaign heats up with 'a story of trying to eat Chunhyang'
Candidate Han attacked by referencing past comments made by Candidate Hong, such as "Chunhyangjeon is a story of trying to eat Chunhyang" and "We shouldn't elect a Supreme Council member who just wears makeup." Candidate Hong retorted, "Isn't it because you've been making trouble like that that the president got angry and enacted martial law?"
They also clashed over Candidate Hong's repeated use of the term 'nagging' towards Candidate Han. Candidate Han responded, "Do you use the term nagging with people in your everyday life?" and stated, "That expression shouldn't be used. It is a derogatory term." Candidate Hong replied, "He doesn't know the term nagging, yet he's throwing a tantrum."
There were clear differences in their positions regarding constitutional amendments. Candidate Han asserted, "To shorten the president's term to 3 years, it must be promised so that the Democratic Party of Korea can participate in the constitutional amendment discussions." In response, Candidate Hong countered, "The Democratic Party sees that it has 90% of the power. Would Lee Jae-myung want to be a 3-year president?" and added, "One shouldn't deceive the public with shallow measures."
The issue of redeploying tactical nuclear weapons also raised voices. Candidate Han stated, "I understand that it is the theory that we should arm ourselves with nuclear weapons, but I oppose it," and added, "To arm ourselves with nuclear weapons directly at this time, we would have to withdraw from the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons), which would put us in a difficult position."
In response, Candidate Hong said, "It's not about arming, but about nuclear balance." Regarding persistent questions like "Where are you going to place the nuclear weapons?" he expressed his displeasure, saying, "I have studied the North-South nuclear issue for 20 years, and I want to stop broadcasting with someone who just nags like Candidate Han."
◇ All 'friendly' towards unification with Han Duck-soo
Candidate Hong and Candidate Han both raised 'O' signs at the 'OX' game question regarding whether they would unify if Acting President Han Duck-soo declares his candidacy.
Candidate Hong mentioned, "Since it is difficult to stand up against Candidate Lee Jae-myung, we need to create a big tent not only with Acting Han but also with Candidate Lee Jun-seok and the non-Lee Jae-myung faction to win the election."
Candidate Han stated, "I will make the winning choice," and expressed, "I am confident that the candidate of the People Power Party will ultimately represent the entire conservative camp through the primaries."
Candidate Hong continued his stance, saying, "It's difficult to compete with Candidate Lee Jae-myung, so I will work alongside the Democratic Party of Lee Jae-myung if I come to power."
He added, "For three years, how did former President Yoon Suk-yeol or Candidate Han run the country for it to be in such a state?" and expressed, "We should acknowledge the existence of the opposition party, communicate where we need to communicate, and compromise where necessary."