Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the Reform Party, noted on the 22nd, one day before the second TV debate, that during the previous TV debate, "Lee Jae-myung (the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate) just repeated the word 'extreme' while employing a strategy of bouncing questions back like a bed soccer game," saying, "I have figured out this strategy, and I will confidently respond to secure support from the softer Democratic Party supporters."
The candidate spoke to reporters at Inha University in Michuhol District, Incheon, in the morning.
The candidate stated, "The last TV debate was a case of forcing someone lying on the bed to stand up and scold them," adding, "Since Lee Jae-myung is a person with a strong sense of pride, this time he will engage in negative tactics purposefully, and if he suffers a setback after going all in, it will be even more devastating."
The candidate said, "There is a result showing that if I face off against Lee Jae-myung in a two-candidate scenario, Lee Jae-myung's approval rating will come out lower," and added, "Ultimately, I am showing a gradual expansion of support that transcends both conservative and progressive boundaries."
He continued, "In today's released public opinion poll, we have finally started to see support ratings in the 10% range," noting, "This is an increase of about 3 percentage points since the first debate, and this pace will now accelerate."
According to the results of a nationwide index survey conducted by Embrain, K-Stat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research from the 19th to the 21st among 1,002 men and women aged 18 and older, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea recorded 46%, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party 32%, and Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party 10%. The survey was conducted via phone interviews using virtual phone numbers (100%), with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The response rate was 26.7% (for more details, refer to the website of the National Election Opinion Survey Deliberation Committee).
The candidate commented on remarks made by Ham Ik-byeong, co-chair of the Reform Party's election campaign committee, regarding the room salon, saying, "It seems he was reflecting on the experiences of those around him. He was speaking specifically about cases where individuals go not voluntarily but due to external pressure," and added, "This is a very personal remark, and if inadequate comments arise, I plan to guide him not to repeat them in his candidacy."
The previous day, Ham, the head of the campaign committee, caused controversy by stating regarding the suspicious 'drinking invitation at an entertainment establishment' related to Judge Jeon Gwi-yeon, "If you are a man in his 50s or older in South Korea, you inevitably go (to a room salon)."
The candidate remarked about Yang Hyang-ja, co-chair of the People Power Party, who is from the Reform Party, saying, "We have no reason to get involved in internal conflicts," adding, "Spokesperson Lee Dong-hoon made such remarks to express our complete lack of willingness to engage in a politically engineered unification."
The previous day, Lee Dong-hoon, public relations director of the Reform Party's election campaign committee, claimed that members of the People Power Party's pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Suk-yeol) faction proposed unification of conservative presidential candidates in exchange for party leadership. In response, Yang Hyang-ja is demanding that the Reform Party reveal the identities of those within the pro-Yoon faction who made the party leadership proposal.