Reform Party floor leader Cheon Ha-ram held a press conference in front of Busan City Hall on the 10th and urged that a TV debate among Busan mayoral candidates, including candidate Jeong I-han, is necessary.
After being barred from taking part in broadcaster-hosted debates other than the debate organized by the National Election Commission, candidate Jeong I-han began a hunger strike on the 8th.
Cheon criticized the failure to invite Jeong to the broadcaster-hosted debate, saying it is like broadcasting a game with only two players when three are competing and telling citizens to judge for themselves, and noted that only with a debate that includes Jeong can voters make a more balanced judgment.
Cheon added that the Reform Party is the No. 2 opposition party in the National Assembly and a major party that won more than 8% of the vote in the last presidential election. Cheon also said the party will push to amend the law to prevent media outlets from arbitrarily excluding candidates eligible for National Election Commission TV debates from their own debates.