Yoon "If there really was a dirt spoon spirit, would there have been corruption like Daejang-dong?"
Hong "If President Moon Jae-in is a local train to Venezuela, Candidate Lee is an express train"
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and Congressman Hong Joon-pyo, candidates for the People Power Party's presidential primary, are taking a commemorative photo before the joint debate for the People Power Party presidential primary candidates from Daejeon, Sejong, Chungnam, and Chungbuk regions, held on the afternoon of the 25th at the KBS Daejeon Broadcasting Headquarters in Mannyeon-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim So-young] Sharp attacks from opposition presidential primary candidates are focusing on Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate who resigned as governor of Gyeonggi Province and is embarking on a full-fledged presidential campaign. In particular, the tension between former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl and Assemblyman Hong Joon-pyo, who had been clashing over poll questions and lists of offensive remarks, has noticeably subsided.
At the People Power Party presidential primary debate for the Chungcheong region held at Daejeon KBS on the 25th, former Prosecutor General Yoon said, "He is a golden spoon who passed the bar exam in his 20s in the 1980s," adding, "He is already part of the privileged class. If he truly had the spirit of a dirt spoon, would there have been something like the Daejang-dong corruption scandal?" raising his voice.
He then predicted, "In the TV debate with candidate Lee, I will focus on how unreasonable economic policies like basic income are, not to mention the Daejang-dong allegations."
Assemblyman Hong also referred to a Facebook post containing anecdotes from candidate Lee’s childhood, criticizing, "What raised candidate Lee was a hatred of society," and added, "I believe there are not many people in the Republic of Korea who would support candidate Lee." He evaluated, "As everyone knows, his conduct is zero. He is a typical populist. If President Moon Jae-in is a local train heading to Venezuela, candidate Lee is an express train."
He continued, "Besides the Daejang-dong corruption, there is also the issue of attorney fees being paid on his behalf during the election law violation trial," mentioning, "The amount is likely over 2 billion won, but it was swept under the rug."
During the debate, former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong emphasized, "Candidate Lee’s basic income is just throwing money around, stealing and destroying opportunities for future generations," and stressed, "We are fully prepared to unmask candidate Lee in terms of morality, capability, and achievements." Former Assemblyman Yoo Seung-min also criticized, "Candidate Lee is someone who will step on the accelerator much harder in ruining South Korea’s economy."
Earlier that day, at a press conference held at the Daejeon City Party Office, Assemblyman Hong stressed, "If you choose the wrong candidate, every time you wake up, a new corruption scandal will break out, and the presidential election will be lost," urging, "Please judge who can win the general election and make your choice accordingly."
Former Prosecutor General Yoon also stated, "If this government had upheld common sense and principles, the people would not have called me out," adding, "The people called me out to stop the extension of this regime and to properly establish the country and the law, so I came out without looking back."
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