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| Presidential contenders of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) attend a TV debate at a local broadcaster's studio in Seoul's Mapo District, Sunday. On the left is five-term lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo and on the right is former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. Joint Press Corps |
By Jung Da-min
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, the current frontrunner among presidential hopefuls of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), has been hit by his rival contender who said during a TV debate that Yoon lacks understanding of the country's security issues.
Yoon responded to questions with answers that some deemed insufficient or off point when it comes to the country's security, thus raising doubt on whether he is qualified to serve as president.
In the latest televised debate among PPP presidential contenders, Sunday night, Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, the runner-up among the two in opinion polls, asked Yoon for his opinion on the remarks of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong.
The previous day, the powerful sister issued a statement through the official Korean Central News Agency, to say it is illogical and childish that South Korea and the U.S. denounce the North's "acts of self-defense" as "provocations" while painting their own military build-up activities as the "securing of deterrence" against the North. She added South Korea should not try to break the balance of military power on and around the Korean Peninsula.
Hong asked Yoon: "Kim Yo-jong warned President Moon Jae-in not to break the balance of military power. What do you think about this?"
Yoon's answer was: "When did she do it? This time?"
Hong then said, "If you don't know, I'll move on to the next question."
The five-term lawmaker asked Yoon if he is aware of Operation Plan (OPLAN) 5015 and what measures the president of South Korea should take once it is put into action.
OPLAN 5015 is a South Korea-U.S. joint military operational plan, which calls for a preemptive strike on North Korea's military facilities and weapons as well as its top leaders in the event of an emergency.
Yoon hesitated to answer Hong's question, asking him for more details. As Hong criticized Yoon saying he should be able to answer if he really knows about the operational plan, Yoon gave an evasive answer without details by only saying: "The OPLAN is an operational plan to be launched in times of North Korean invasion or emergency situation."
Yoon also said he would first make a phone call to the U.S. president to discuss how to carry out joint military operations. Hong then attacked Yoon for his poor understanding of the security issue, saying that such discussions between the presidents of the two nations would have already been carried out before launching OPLAN 5015 and that the South Korean president's role is to decide whether to commence military operations.
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