More TV debates needed to give people opportunities to judge candidates
The major presidential candidates engaged in a heated discussion about various pending issues during the first TV debate, which took place at a KBS studio Thursday evening. They exchanged views on diverse matters such as real estate, foreign affairs, security, job creation and economic growth during the two-hour debate. The event drew special attention as it was the first debate they have had since being selected as the presidential candidates of their respective parties.
It would not be appropriate to say who did the best in this debate. Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) attempted to highlight the alleged misdeeds of Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), relating to his supposed role in a massive land development project in Daejang-dong, Seongnam City, near Seoul. By doing so, Yoon also tried to emphasize his merits as the former prosecutor-general.
In contrast, Lee refrained from any negative attacks while focusing on economic and future-oriented issues, such as housing supply and renewable energy. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party concentrated on offering alternative policies for the national pension system, eliciting agreement from the other candidates for a reform pledge. Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party criticized Yoon for proposing the additional deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the Seoul metropolitan area, describing the choice as "security populism."
As the debate was designed to deal with numerous pending issues in a limited time, the candidates were not able to engage in an in-depth discussion. However, it is fortunate that they stopped short of berating each other over issues involving the wives of Yoon and Lee. Instead, they tried to find faults with each other's campaign pledges. This effort deserves to be commended as the current presidential race has been dubbed a competition between "record disliked" contenders. It is also the result of the candidates' tacit agreement that they will fail to earn voter support with such negative campaigning.
Nevertheless, this debate seems to have failed to satisfy fully the public's eagerness to get to know the candidates thoroughly. On the one hand, it appears to have provided voters with a chance to hear from them directly about many issues. A recent survey showed that around 30 percent of the people ― mostly swing voters ― replied that they will decide who to vote for after watching the TV debate. On the other, it is clear that an increasing number of voters want to see more debates, so the candidates should respond proactively to the people's calls toward that end.
Three more TV debates are scheduled to take place from Feb. 21 under the auspices of the National Election Commission (NEC). Yet, three is not enough. The contenders should appear in as many broadcast debates as they can. Such appearances are all the more necessary in light of the problems with holding outdoor rallies amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The NEC and the political parties should start the discussion to find ways to increase the number of TV debates to provide voters with more opportunities to judge the candidates.
The major presidential candidates engaged in a heated discussion about various pending issues during the first TV debate, which took place at a KBS studio Thursday evening. They exchanged views on diverse matters such as real estate, foreign affairs, security, job creation and economic growth during the two-hour debate. The event drew special attention as it was the first debate they have had since being selected as the presidential candidates of their respective parties.
It would not be appropriate to say who did the best in this debate. Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) attempted to highlight the alleged misdeeds of Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), relating to his supposed role in a massive land development project in Daejang-dong, Seongnam City, near Seoul. By doing so, Yoon also tried to emphasize his merits as the former prosecutor-general.
In contrast, Lee refrained from any negative attacks while focusing on economic and future-oriented issues, such as housing supply and renewable energy. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party concentrated on offering alternative policies for the national pension system, eliciting agreement from the other candidates for a reform pledge. Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party criticized Yoon for proposing the additional deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the Seoul metropolitan area, describing the choice as "security populism."
As the debate was designed to deal with numerous pending issues in a limited time, the candidates were not able to engage in an in-depth discussion. However, it is fortunate that they stopped short of berating each other over issues involving the wives of Yoon and Lee. Instead, they tried to find faults with each other's campaign pledges. This effort deserves to be commended as the current presidential race has been dubbed a competition between "record disliked" contenders. It is also the result of the candidates' tacit agreement that they will fail to earn voter support with such negative campaigning.
Nevertheless, this debate seems to have failed to satisfy fully the public's eagerness to get to know the candidates thoroughly. On the one hand, it appears to have provided voters with a chance to hear from them directly about many issues. A recent survey showed that around 30 percent of the people ― mostly swing voters ― replied that they will decide who to vote for after watching the TV debate. On the other, it is clear that an increasing number of voters want to see more debates, so the candidates should respond proactively to the people's calls toward that end.
Three more TV debates are scheduled to take place from Feb. 21 under the auspices of the National Election Commission (NEC). Yet, three is not enough. The contenders should appear in as many broadcast debates as they can. Such appearances are all the more necessary in light of the problems with holding outdoor rallies amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The NEC and the political parties should start the discussion to find ways to increase the number of TV debates to provide voters with more opportunities to judge the candidates.
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