In the '4-way debate' of the People Power Party presidential primary held on the 26th, candidates Kim Moon-soo, Ahn Cheol-soo, Han Dong-hoon, and Hong Joon-pyo engaged in sharp exchanges regarding former President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment apology, the theory of Han Duck-soo's recruitment, and qualifications as president. Regarding policy pledges, Kim and Hong took a combined stance against one candidate's pledge of '5 major metropolises.'
◇Will Yoon apologize for impeachment? Diverging positions
On this day, the candidates showed differing positions on whether former President Yoon Suk-yeol intends to apologize to the public regarding the impeachment by the Constitutional Court.
Candidate Ahn asked the other three candidates, 'Former President Yoon was removed by the Constitutional Court. As a member of the government and ruling party, do you intend to apologize to the hurt citizens?'
In response, Candidate Kim said, 'It is a very complex issue,' adding, 'During the martial law and impeachment process, 30 members of the Democratic Party of Korea were involved in a 'mass impeachment,' and there are many causes such as the special prosecutor law and the complete cut of the budget. Discussions on these matters should be sufficiently conducted.' He continued, 'It's not that I have no intention to apologize, but I need to see what the discussions yield before doing so.'
Candidate Hong briefly replied, 'I will consider it if I become the final candidate.'
Candidate Han stated, 'I have repeatedly apologized since the night of the martial law,' and added, 'I give my apology again here. As a politician and as the party leader at that time, I am very sorry to the citizens for making them go through something they should never have experienced.'
In response, Candidate Ahn said, 'I have also apologized twice,' stressing, 'If our party is to win the presidential election, we must cross the river of impeachment.' He continued, 'If we do not acknowledge our mistakes and sincerely apologize to the public, we cannot win against Lee Jae-myung.'
◇'Unhappy with the theory of Han Duck-soo's recruitment?'... Kim, Han, and Hong mark 'X' while Ahn marks 'O'
Regarding the theory of recruiting Han Duck-soo as acting prime minister, the remaining candidates, excluding Ahn, were virtually in agreement.
Firstly, Candidate Han remarked, 'It seems those supporting the People Power Party truly want to win the presidential election,' and noted, 'It seems they are considering various options, and that in itself appears to be dynamic.'
He added, 'Ultimately, our candidate from the People Power Party must represent the conservative camp and fight against Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung.'
Candidate Kim remarked, 'Acting Prime Minister Han has excellent character and experience,' stating, 'Having someone like him working to defeat candidate Lee Jae-myung aligns with the aspirations of our party and the public. It will definitely help in defeating this candidate.'
Candidate Hong said, 'At first, I found it unreasonable,' and added, 'I felt unhappy because it seemed like the party had decided on a candidate without going through the preliminary competition.' However, he also expressed, 'How can we catch Lee Jae-myung if we cannot surpass Acting Prime Minister Han? There are many demands from party members for this theory of recruitment. I do not feel unhappy about it.'
In contrast, Ahn stated, 'It is not appropriate,' saying, 'I do not feel unhappy, but I find it undesirable.' Candidate Ahn noted, 'Acting Prime Minister Han is the best expert who can achieve the best results in the tariff negotiations with the U.S.,' emphasizing, 'We need to lower tariffs even by 1% and manage the presidential election.'
Additionally, the candidates also attacked each other's weaknesses while throwing counterarguments.
Candidate Ahn asked Candidate Han, pointing out that he is similar to former President Yoon in being a prosecutor with limited political experience, whether he has a chance of winning the presidential election. Candidate Han countered by highlighting that Ahn has frequently changed party affiliations, supporting former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and former President Moon Jae-in.
Candidate Kim criticized Candidate Han regarding the 'party member bulletin board controversy,' quipping, 'If I become president, let's not comment but meet or call each other.' To this, Candidate Han replied, 'You have a great imagination. Why are you wandering around the party member's bulletin board while avoiding martial law? It's distressing. You should not dig into people's pasts. If you become president, do not engage in such behavior.'
◇On Han's '5 major metropolises' pledge... Kim and Hong say 'Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan couldn't do it' in a combined attack
In the area of policy, Candidate Han's pledge for '5 major metropolises' stood at the center of the debate throughout. Candidates Kim and Hong, citing its realizability within a short term, stated it was 'far-fetched' as they jointly attacked.
Candidate Kim expressed surprise, 'How can you create 5 cities similar to Seoul in just 2 years?'
In response, Candidate Han clarified, 'It does not mean to create completely new cities,' stating, 'We aim to mobilize funds with zero regulations to make cities revolve around specific industries while providing sufficient support to compete with Seoul.'
Candidate Kim countered, 'It takes 3 to 4 years for apartments,' and Candidate Han reiterated, 'We are looking to invigorate cities through easing regulations centered around national strategic industries in each region.'
Candidate Kim then turned toward Candidate Hong, asking, 'Can you actually achieve the (5 major metropolises)?' Candidate Hong replied, 'It is a far-fetched pledge. It takes at least 10 years to create a new city. I find myself wondering if those proposing this pledge understand administrative processes.'
Candidate Han explained, 'The goal is not to renew cities but to provide concentrated support for major cities,' stating, 'For example, I mean to concentrate support on Daegu for 2 years to establish it as a metropolis.' Candidate Kim retorted, 'Even if you say you can create 5 metropolises in 5 years, I would resign now and carry you on my back,' to which Candidate Han replied, 'I would love to be carried on your back.'
Subsequently, when it was Candidate Kim's turn to take the lead again, he struck again, saying, 'To create a metropolis, we need a strong leadership similar to former President Park Chung-hee. However, it took 18 years to create a city in the Park Chung-hee style.' He added, 'The metropolitan area plan is not realistic. How about modifying it?'
Candidate Hong also supported this by saying, 'I have been the governor of Gyeongnam and the mayor of Daegu, and I can say it cannot be done. It will take at least 10 years to create a similar environment compared to the metropolitan area,' adding, 'Achieving this in 2 years is impossible even during the Chun Doo-hwan era.'