"Let's Have Presidential Spouses Debate on TV": Kim Yongtae's Premature Proposal Shakes Up the Election Scene

Lee Jaemyung: "Politics Is Done by the President," Voices Opposition
Lee Junseok Criticizes: "Do They Think They Can Win with a Nonsense Talk Fest?"
Move Backfires by Highlighting the Kim Keonhee Controversy

Kim Yongtae, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, proposed a "presidential candidate spouse TV debate" but failed to achieve even the intended effect. Although his stated purpose was to verify presidential spouses in consideration of their importance, he could not avoid criticism that the proposal only highlighted the controversy surrounding Kim Keonhee, and raised questions about how Lee Junseok, the unmarried presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, would participate.

On May 20, Kim held an emergency press conference and said, "The social influence of the presidential spouse is significant, but verification regarding them is severely lacking." He proposed a TV debate between Seol Nanyeong, spouse of People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moonsu, and Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jaemyung.

Kim Yongtae, Co-Chairman of the People Power Party's Central Election Countermeasures Committee, is speaking at the Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on May 19, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

He stated, "In our politics, the First Lady's presence has long been in a blind spot for verification," and added, "In past years, issues related to presidential spouses have brought disappointment rather than hope to the people, and have caused division rather than unity." In effect, he acknowledged that the controversy surrounding Kim Keonhee during former President Yoon Sukyeol's entire term had been a political issue, and emphasized the need for spouse verification.

However, the response from the other side was cold. Lee Jaemyung, during a campaign in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, said, "The People Power Party is making a strange suggestion about a spouse debate," adding, "Politics is done by the president, not the spouse." In a meeting with reporters, Lee also pointed out, "What about candidate Lee Junseok, who is unmarried? This is impulsive, irresponsible, and reckless. Does this even make sense?"

Candidate Lee Junseok also criticized, "People in the People Power Party should come up with strategies to actually win the election," and added, "I do not understand how they think they can win by holding this kind of 'nonsense talk fest.'"

For the People Power Party, the move backfired by bringing the Kim Keonhee issue back into the spotlight. Park Jie-won, a Democratic Party lawmaker, commented on social media, "The People Power Party still cannot break the bad habit of serving Kim Keonhee from the Yoon Sukyeol administration, when Kim Keonhee was essentially the president and Yoon Sukyeol was the 'First Gentleman.'"