Yoo Seung-min vs. Yoon Seok-yeol, Heated Clash... "Are You a Prepared President?" vs. "You Agreed to Soju-seong" Confrontation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] In the second face-off debate of the People Power Party, former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol engaged in a fierce exchange. Following the controversy over former Prosecutor General Yoon's social media (SNS) posts, both sides engaged in sharp confrontations involving accusations of "quarrels" and "nitpicking."

On the 22nd, former Prosecutor General Yoon stated during the face-off debate that the photos he posted on SNS showing him giving apples to a dog were "not done intentionally" and apologized to the public, saying, "I apologize to the people." The SNS controversy escalated into a clash over personnel philosophy. Yoon explained that "he approved the overall planning intent, but the process of taking photos and posting on SNS was done by staff (referring to campaign personnel)."

Regarding this, former lawmaker Yoo criticized, "Candidate Yoon says the president does not need to be an expert. It is enough to use people in the right place at the right time," adding, "But in the small process of running the campaign, mistakes appear on his own SNS, and he says there is no need to know every little detail or micromanage." In response, Yoon said, "Since I approved the story related to the apology, I am responsible for it," and added, "I will accept criticism from the people and act accordingly."

After the SNS controversy was temporarily settled in the debate, both sides engaged in intense exchanges. When asked about the challenges the next president must address in this era, Yoon said, "Because we did not have a proper policy debate and only thought differently, such comments arise," mentioning the need for job creation plans. Yoo criticized, "Does someone who has been a prosecutor for 26 to 27 years really think he is a prepared president?"

Yoon then criticized Yoo, saying, "Former lawmaker Yoo should have demonstrated his economic capabilities in the debate," and added, "He only made personal attacks and failed to properly address policy issues." Additionally, Yoon attacked Yoo by saying that during his time as floor leader, he sympathized with income-led growth and pledged to phase out nuclear power during the last presidential election.

In response, Yoo said, "Go and read the speech I gave when I was floor leader," and stated, "Do not lie to the people." Regarding the term "phasing out nuclear power," Yoo said, "I never used that term," and added, "We need to build new nuclear power plants or pay attention to safety issues for aging plants. Since nuclear plants are concentrated on the East Coast, it is right to disperse them."

Furthermore, both sides clashed over Yoo’s proposal for a 100 trillion won-scale non-memory semiconductor future city in the southern region. Yoon raised concerns about the feasibility of the project, citing power supply issues. Yoo retorted, "Are you saying we should not build factories in the central region of the country because of power supply?" and pointed out, "Power supply plans can follow anywhere, can't they?"