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Presidential candidates hold hands before their final TV debate at MBC headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. They are, from left, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea, Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party, Yoo Seong-min of the Bareun Party, Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party. / Joint press corps |
14 lawmakers quit Bareun Party to support LKP's Hong
By Kim Hyo-jin
Presidential candidates remained poles apart Tuesday over how to respond to President Donald Trump's pressure on sharing the cost of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery stationed here.
Liberal candidates Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea and Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party said the issue should be reviewed thoroughly by the next government while the remaining nominees said it would not be an issue as the U.S. is supposed to pay the cost according to a bilateral pact.
In the last debate before the May 9 presidential election, the candidates engaged hotly on welfare, education policies and ways to improve national unity.
Moon renewed his call to seek a parliamentary review of the deployment of the missile defense system, saying it was his upmost priority.
"If we go through the process of a parliamentary ratification, the issue will be resolved," the front-runner said.
"The need to review how the THAAD deployment was agreed to is even higher, now that there have been reports that National Security Office chief Kim Kwan-jin was made aware of the request to share the cost by the Trump's transition team."
Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party disagreed, saying there was no need to worry about Trump's remarks as they did not take into consideration the Status of Forces Agreement where the U.S. agreed to pay for the installation and operation of the weapon system.
Yoo Seong-min of the Bareun Party echoed a similar view, saying it was not worth raising public concern as it was a mere bluff made by the new U.S. leader.
"It was a spontaneous remark. We don't have to take it so seriously by calling for a withdrawal or review of the deployment in response, if you value Korea-U.S. relations over the long term," he said.
Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) also dismissed Moon's concerns, saying, "I believe Trump's pressure was just targeting a possible launch of a Moon government."
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, 14 lawmakers quit the Bareun Party to rejoin the LKP and support Hong.
Their sudden breakaway from the splinter conservative party may affect voter sentiment in the lead-up to the May 9 election, with Hong increasingly rallying support from conservatives to become a serious challenger to Moon.
"People are calling for us to unify forces to prevent a pro-North Korea, leftist politician from prevailing in the presidential election," Rep. Hong Moon-pyo, accompanied by 12 fellow lawmakers, said during a press conference, referring to Moon. One of the 14 lawmakers, Jeong Woon-chun, was not present at the conference.
Their move will reduce the Bareun Party's seats from 32 to 18, stripping it of its status as a negotiating bloc at the National Assembly. The second-largest LKP's seats will increase to 108.
The defections come after in-house conflicts in the Bareun Party over whether to continue the race with its presidential candidate Yoo Seong-min who has suffered a stagnant, low single-digit support rate.
The defectors had reportedly pressured Yoo to quit the race and join hands with Hong. With their uneasiness growing as the election day approaches, party leaders suggested that Yoo consider supporting Hong as a single candidate. However, he rejected the call and reaffirmed his position to continue his run.
"I don't think the existing old-fashioned, corrupt and fake conservatives can change the country," Yoo told reporters. "I'm practicing politics in the Bareun Party to create hope for new conservatives, and committing to run in the presidential race is part of this process."
Despite this, more defections are expected. Party officials said three to four more lawmakers could leave in the coming days. The LKP expects that the lawmakers' return will boost Hong's support.
One official said, "Internal surveys found that Hong's support has already surpassed Ahn's even though polls show they are neck-and-neck. Our goal is now to overtake Moon."
Hwang Tae-soon, a senior political analyst, noted, "Conservative voters will now be assured that Hong is a representative candidate of the conservative bloc. They will have second thoughts about supporting Ahn as a lesser evil."
