"Discussion in a Hundred Schools of Thought, Regardless of the Method"
Aimed at Lee Jaemyung: "Lies and No Concrete Solutions"
The People Power Party stated on the 24th, "If the conservative candidates unite, there is sufficient potential to overturn the current situation," adding, "It would be preferable to achieve unification before early voting (May 29-30)."
Shin Dongwook, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party's central election committee, responded to a question about the deadline for unification during a meeting with reporters at the party's central headquarters in Seoul that morning, saying, "It would be ideal if unification could be achieved before the ballots are printed, but even if that's not possible, it would be preferable to do so before early voting begins."
Chief spokesperson Shin emphasized, "According to major opinion polls, if the two candidates are combined, the results often surpass Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea. Lee Jaemyung's approval rating was in the low 50% range at the start of the campaign, but it has now fallen below 45%, so we believe that unification at this point could yield results, and we must make every effort until the end."
Shin further expressed an open stance on unification, stating that the party is not bound by a particular format. Regarding the proposal made the previous day by emergency committee member Kim Yongtae to candidate Lee Junseok for unification through a joint government or a national primary, he said, "I'm not sure how much consensus there is with candidate Kim Moonsu," but added, "As long as unification is possible, the more diverse the methods, the better, even if it means a hundred schools of thought."
He went on to say, "Various ideas are being proposed, and we are in the process of gathering opinions toward a win-win unification. Not only committee member Kim but also the election committee as a whole is discussing various methods."
Chief spokesperson Shin assessed the second televised presidential debate held the previous day, saying, "Candidate Kim performed well in the debate without any major flaws." Regarding Lee Jaemyung, he criticized, "He continues to lie," citing Lee's responses on election fraud and nuclear power issues as examples.
He continued, "As in the first debate, there were no concrete solutions to specific issues. When asked how he would fund his pledge to increase nursing care expenses by 15 trillion won despite the severe health insurance deficit, he gave only vague answers." He also pointed out, "He still fails to distinguish the relative importance of issues. While matters related to family or insulting family members could be considered personal, a person's character reflects how they would govern the country."
Regarding candidate Lee Junseok, he said, "He demonstrated a great deal of expertise on specific issues and overwhelmed Lee Jaemyung." However, he added, "A national leader, even if lacking in detail, must present solutions for national unity and resolving social conflicts. I found his political judgment lacking in this regard."
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