TV Debate... Lee Jaemyung: "I Was Talking About Our Direction"
Lee Junseok: "'How' Is Missing, That's Dangerous"
On May 18, Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, asked Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, "How do you plan to implement a 4.5-day workweek without any reduction in wages?" In response, Lee Jaemyung answered, "Going forward, we need to make gradual progress through compromise."
When Lee Junseok further questioned, "Doesn't this simply mean shifting the entire burden onto businesses?" Lee Jaemyung explained, "I'm talking about the direction we want to pursue."
In response, Lee Junseok pointed out, "As we have just confirmed, Lee Jaemyung is omitting the 'how' and simply saying 'we will do this' or 'we will do that.' People say that when times are tough, just as cults approach you, this is the most dangerous type of person."
Citizens Watching the Live Broadcast of the Presidential Candidate Debate(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Seo Daeyeon = On the 18th, citizens are watching the live broadcast of the first debate of the 21st presidential election candidates in the Seoul Station waiting room. 2025.5.18
Photo by Seo Daeyeon
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Earlier, the two candidates also clashed over Lee Jaemyung's so-called "hotel economy theory," which he used to explain economic circulation. When Lee Junseok asked, "Were you referring to the Keynesian multiplier effect?" Lee Jaemyung replied, "Yes, I was talking about the multiplier effect. If money is fixed, it is the same as not having it at all."
Lee Junseok criticized, "If you look at the diagram you drew at the time, it seems like money never disappears and just stays at 1, isn't that perpetual motion?" Lee Jaemyung raised his voice and said, "That's an extreme view. Why are you being so simplistic?"
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