Candidates disappoint voters in TV debates

The five main presidential candidates hold hands ahead of their third televised debate at the KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. Citizens showed disappointment at the debate as the candidates focused on smear campaigns against rivals rather than presenting policy ideas. / Yonhap

By Kim Rahn

The presidential candidates have so far failed to live up to voters’ expectations in nationally televised debates as they have focused on smear campaigns against their rivals rather than presenting how they would run the country if elected.

Citizens say their performances and attitudes have been substandard, adding the three remaining debates before the May 9 election may be unnecessary if they keep up exchanging such low-quality barbs.

In the third TV debate Sunday night, four of the five candidates attacked Liberty Korea Party contender Hong Joon-pyo’s involvement in an attempted rape as a college student featured in his 2005 memoir.

Right after the debate began, Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung mentioned the issue and demanded Hong withdraw from the race because he was unqualified to become president. “I apologize to the people in advance. I can’t accept a person, who plotted a sexual crime, as a presidential candidate,” she said. “So I’ll not talk with Hong today.”

Agreeing that Hong was unqualified to run, Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor liberal People’s Party did not look at Hong when answering his questions. “I’ll answer without looking at you. Instead I’ll look at the camera, look at the people.”

A disgruntled Hong then said, “You should look at me when answering my questions. People will think you are small-minded.”

Frontrunner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea, and runner-up Ahn were busy trying to hurt each other rather than present their blueprints about how they would lead the country if elected.

Ahn suggested that National Assembly committees should investigate two allegations surrounding Moon and himself — Moon’s alleged influence-peddling to help his son land a job at a state-run company; and the alleged improper employment of Ahn’s wife at Seoul National University — indicating he was confident that the one against Moon was true while his was not.

Moon then laughed, and said, “Allegations against me have already been disproved. You have a hard time to keep explaining yours.”

But Ahn kept asking questions about Moon camp’s alleged systematic smear campaign against him.

Regarding the arguments between Ahn and Moon, Hong said, “It’s like a debate between elementary schoolchildren.”

The five candidates also stuck to allegations involving past administrations — Moon was the chief of staff for former President Roh Moo-hyun, and People’s Party Chairman Park Jie-won held the same post under former President Kim Dae-jung.

Citizens expressed disappointment at the debate which was only full of smears without the candidates explaining their vision.

“I watched the second debate fully, but this third debate, I stopped watching halfway through because they just kept quarrelling,” Cho Jin-hee, a 65-year-old housewife said, adding their arguments were “childish.”

“I couldn’t learn how the candidates wanted to lead the nation if they were elected. All I learned was that all of them were substandard.”

Office worker Park Sung-soo agreed. “I expected the candidates to vie to show their policies about how they would manage Korea in this low-growth era, but the debate was tainted with offenses about things of the past,” the 40-year-old said. “In future debates, I hope they will discuss policies and details, and how they might carry them out.”

An internet user said, “Do I really have to select one of them for president? It’s pathetic.”

“It is a waste of time and an infringement of people’s rights to view other programs,” another user said. “The candidates did not keep to the minimum of debate rules.”