Lee Jung-man "Is Candidate Lee Jae-gwan an Avatar of Candidate Park Wan-joo?"
Lee Jae-gwan "Investigation Needed to Uncover Allegations of Kim Geon-hee's Luxury Bag Receipt"
In the 22nd National Assembly election, Lee Jae-gwan, the Democratic Party candidate, and Lee Jeong-man, the People Power Party candidate, who are running in the Cheonan constituency of Chungnam, are greeting each other at an invitational debate hosted by the Cheonan City Reporters Association and SK Broadband. / Photo by Kim Ah-young, Asia Economy
Ahead of the 22nd National Assembly election, candidates for the Cheonan constituency in Chungnam, Lee Jae-gwan of the Democratic Party of Korea and Lee Jeong-man of the People Power Party, engaged in a heated debate over allegations of influence by Assemblyman Park Wan-joo and the controversy surrounding First Lady Kim Geon-hee's receipt of luxury handbags.
On the 19th, the Cheonan City Reporters Association and SK Broadband held a candidate invitation debate for the 22nd National Assembly election, conducting a verification session for the candidates running in the Cheonan constituency as the second order of business.
Candidate Lee Jeong-man presented pledges including △ establishing Seongseong Lake Park as a cultural and artistic hub △ creating a children's convergence theme park △ early relocation of Seonghwan Livestock Research Institute △ improvement of public transportation systems △ undergrounding the railway section between Dujeong Station and Cheonan Station.
Candidate Lee Jae-gwan promised a threefold vision and eight strategies for Mega City Cheonan, including △ upgrading Cheonan to a special city status △ establishing a national industrial complex within Seonghwan Livestock Research Institute △ attracting 1,400 advanced companies and securing 70,000 jobs △ supplying 5,200 public housing units for youth and newlyweds △ promoting the eradication of fire blight disease as a national project.
Regarding the common pledge to promote the Seonghwan Livestock Research Institute national industrial complex, the candidates proposed different directions: 'establishing a future mobility national industrial complex' and 'attracting top-tier companies,' respectively.
Candidate Lee Jae-gwan explained, "The Seonghwan Livestock Research Institute national industrial complex is a contributing factor to the Chungcheong region, and future mobility including autonomous driving and semiconductors should be intensively developed there. The core of future vehicles is semiconductors and electronic equipment, which perfectly matches Cheonan's industrial ecosystem."
He added, "The key is to attract core research institutes and major corporations so that a growth ladder combining large corporations with research functions and a harmony of mid-sized companies and startups can be realized. The Seonghwan Livestock Research Institute project serves as a bridge for young people who cannot leave the metropolitan area to come to Cheonan."
Candidate Lee Jeong-man stated, "In response to citizens' aspirations, we will attract domestic and international top-tier companies such as Samsung to the Livestock Research Institute site to serve as a growth engine for Cheonan's next 100 years. We will attract large corporations by offering benefits such as corporate tax reductions and exemptions from development charges."
He continued, "Residential complexes located on the outskirts of the industrial complex will be developed into a new city with a population of 200,000 in the long term by establishing transportation, education, and cultural infrastructure. If there are profits acquired by the state through the industrial complex development, a portion will be returned as benefits to Cheonan citizens," he promised.
During the main debate, candidate Lee Jeong-man raised suspicions that Assemblyman Park Wan-joo's influence played a role in candidate Lee Jae-gwan receiving the party nomination.
Lee Jeong-man claimed, "There are allegations that Park Wan-joo, who was expelled from the Democratic Party due to sexual harassment charges, had decisive influence in Lee Jae-gwan's nomination process. This has led to criticism that Lee Jae-gwan might be an avatar of Park Wan-joo."
In response, Lee Jae-gwan rebutted, "There is no part of that which can be said to be true. It is disappointing that someone who wants to be a member of the National Assembly would ask unverified questions in an official setting."
Candidate Lee Jae-gwan also pointed out the controversy over First Lady Kim Geon-hee's receipt of luxury handbags.
He stated, "A public opinion poll showed that seven out of ten citizens demand an apology and explanation regarding the allegations of First Lady Kim Geon-hee receiving luxury handbags. The social impact is too significant to simply call it a gift, and it must be clearly investigated through proper inquiry."
Candidate Lee Jeong-man responded, "Since a civic group filed a complaint against Pastor Choi Jae-young, an investigation will proceed. While there may be regrets about First Lady Kim Geon-hee's conduct as the First Lady, if an investigation proceeds, it will naturally include inquiries into whether bribery occurred."
Lee Jeong-man emphasized, "During my time as a prosecutor, I did not look sideways at power, did not yield to external pressure, and stubbornly upheld principles and convictions solely for the realization of justice. Please judge me by my record written not in words but in life. With such conviction and capability, I will boldly point out the government's and ruling party's mistakes and become a righteous member of the National Assembly."
Lee Jae-gwan raised his voice, saying, "President Yoon Seok-yeol is waging an ideological war instead of focusing on people's livelihoods, and is only concerned with growing the metropolitan area while ignoring the provinces. I will stand at the forefront of local autonomy and protect our country's livelihoods and democratic peace against President Yoon's dictatorship."
The debate will be broadcast on the 20th on SK Broadband Channel 1 at 11:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. as a recorded program.
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