Leading presidential contenders exchange sharp-tongued criticism

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea, speaks while campaigning at Cheonggye Square in downtown Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Lee says specter of ousted political forces haunts; Yoon calls DPK rival 'fake Roosevelt'

By Jung Da-min

The two leading presidential candidates bitterly criticized each other on the third day of their respective nationwide tours after official campaign season kicked off Tuesday.

Campaigning in Seoul, Thursday, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) renewed his attack against his rival, Yoon Suk-yeol, of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), likening him and his wife to the ousted conservative former President Park Geun-hye and her long-time friend Choi Soon-sil.

Alleging the return of the specter of the political forces who were driven out of power by the candlelight demonstrations five years ago, Lee said that they appear to have come back after five years.

"I don't know whether Ms. Choi was able to foretell the future, but one thing that I know for sure is that she was not a shaman," Lee said during a speech in Cheonggye Square, central Seoul. "What if a shaman dominates state affairs? Don't you think that is something we need to be concerned about? We have a presidential candidate who publicly speaks about political retaliation. Have you ever seen a presidential candidate like him before?"

Yoon was also highly critical of his rival during his campaign speech in Seongnam, Lee's political hometown, as he began his political career there as mayor of the city.

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Yoon Suk-yeol, presidential candidate of the main opposition conservative People Power Party, greets supporters while campaigning in front of Yatap Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

The PPP lashed out at Lee, accusing the DPK candidate of allegedly being involved in a corruption scandal surrounding a development project there.

"I have never ever seen a person who had reaped 850 billion won in profit from his initial investment of 350 million won in an urban redevelopment project. Have you?" Yoon said during his campaign speech. He mocked Lee for his previous remark that he would like to be a president like Franklin D. Roosevelt, who saved the U.S. economy from the Great Depression in 1929, calling him his role model. "His economic vision can be boiled down to tax-based spending, calling this a New Deal…. I think his vision would draw a laughter from those who are familiar with Roosevelt," said Yoon.

Yoon Suk-yeol, presidential candidate of the main opposition conservative People Power Party, speaks while campaigning in front of Yatap Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

Lee tried to appeal to voters by saying that his real estate polices will be different from those of the current administration, which critics consider as having failed. Yoon flatly lambasted the Moon Jae-in government's real estate policies.

"I do not believe the current government officials made mistakes in their real estate policies but rather, they were intentional and malicious," Yoon said while campaigning in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. "Look at the real estate policies by this government. Does it make sense that they changed them 28 times?"

The main opposition candidate said soaring housing prices were the results of the ruling bloc's intentional and malicious election tactics to separate those who own homes from those who don't, while inducing the latter to vote again for the ruling bloc, deceived by the wrong messages.

Yoon has vowed to provide 1.3 million new homes in the capital area, including 0.5 million in Seoul, while reforming taxation related to housing and revitalizing redevelopment and reconstruction projects.

Yoon travelled through Anseong, Yongin and Seongnam of Gyeonggi Province and the Songpa, Seocho and Jongno Districts of Seoul the same day.

In the meantime, Lee dedicated the whole day to traveling through different districts of Seoul, including Nowon District, Gwanghwamun area in central Seoul, Seongdong District and Mapo District.

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea, speaks while campaigning at Cheonggye Square in downtown Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

While campaigning in Nowon District, where there is a high concentration of aging apartments, Lee pledged to resolve problems related to redevelopment and reconstruction issues.

"I understand that many apartments here need redevelopment and reconstruction and that people here want to live in larger and better places. But isn't it hard to get building permits? . . . I will open the way for you to live happily in good housing by rationally easing the regulations on reconstruction and redevelopment," Lee said.

The DPK candidate added that he would gradually reduce housing-related taxes such as the property tax and the comprehensive real estate tax, which have steeply risen following the sudden rise of housing prices.

Lee reconfirmed his real estate pledges to provide 1.07 million new homes in Seoul and to raise the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio limit to 90 percent for those who wish to buy a home for the first time in their lives.