Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said he has no plans to raise more taxes in carrying out his proposed welfare policies, speaking against his own major campaign promise made just months earlier. During a TV debate held Wednesday, Lee said he has "no plans for any tax increase whatsoever," arguing that the funds needed to finance his state-led welfare policies will be supplied through natural increase in tax income from expected economic growth

Politics March 2, 2022

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea vowed to have the government assume responsibility for all financial losses that South Koreans incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a TV debate program held Wednesday, Lee said the state has a duty to compensate all the losses people have had to shoulder as a result of following the government’s COVID-19 protocols. And if elected, he would enlarge the budget and increase spending to execute the vision. Le

Politics March 2, 2022

With just a week to go until Election Day, many poll results are still showing a tight neck-and-neck race between the two major candidates, a situation unusual compared to past presidential elections. A Realmeter survey of 1,007 adults conducted from Monday to Tuesday showed Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party in the lead with 46.3 percent, closely followed by Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea at 43.1 percent. Minor centrist People’s Party candidat

Politics March 2, 2022

A London-based betting exchange running a live prediction of the 20th presidential election for South Korea showed the main opposition party candidate with a higher chance of winning the race against his ruling party rival as just a week remains before Election Day. As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, a betting page for the South Korean presidential election on Smarkets predicted presidential nominee Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party at 69.44 percent chance of winning the election

Politics March 2, 2022

Former Jeju Province Gov. Won Hee-ryong is unveiling documents on the controversial Daejang-dong development project, alleging that presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea was the mastermind behind the whole project. During a press conference held Monday at the headquarters of the main opposition People Power Party, Won unveiled a series of documents that Won claims directly link Lee to the scandal, as seen from his hand-written signature. Won said the docume

Politics Feb. 28, 2022

Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung’s comment on endorsing an end-of-war declaration resurfaced during a televised presidential debate Friday night, in which Lee accused those against the move of being “anti-state” and thereby denouncing the diplomatic views of his presidential race competitors. Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor centrist People’s Party asked Lee to elaborate on what he meant by saying those against the end-of-war declaration are not just being pro-Japanese, bu

Politics Feb. 25, 2022

The two major presidential candidates again dedicated much of their given times on a televised debate Friday night to denounce each other on key allegations, as the tight race continues between them with less than two weeks left until voting day. Presidential nominee Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party concentrated fire on voicing claims that Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is the mastermind behind the controversial land development scandal currently un

Politics Feb. 25, 2022

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea picked close-mindedness and lack of efforts toward political integration as the reasons behind what brought criticism toward the incumbent Moon Jae-in administration. But he insisted that the Moon government was not entirely a failure in itself, seemingly expressing partial support for the administration associated with his own party. The response was made to a question from Ahn Cheol-soo of the People&rs

Politics Feb. 25, 2022

Presidential nominee Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party insisted that talks for a candidacy merger between him and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party will not continue unless his call for a public survey is not agreed to. Rep. Sim Sang-jung, the presidential nominee of the minor progressive Justice Party, asked whether Ahn and Yoon are still working on merging their candidacies. Ahn said the negotiation has already fallen through, and that talks woul

Politics Feb. 25, 2022

Verbal attacks have grown increasingly fierce between the two main presidential candidates in Korea, with less than two weeks remaining until Election Day. At campaign rallies for Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and his main rival Yoon Suk-yeol of the opposition People Power Party, officials from each camp devoted much of their energy to denounce and criticize the other side, to the extent of even leveling false accusations combined with insults. "You know, prosecut

Politics Feb. 25, 2022

In every election, candidates offer pledges, but winning support requires a person voters can believe in, and complex marketing and branding tactics are key parts of a candidate's public image. TV advertisements have undoubtedly taken up a large portion of marketing tactics in each presidential election, and successful video appearance has accounted for much of success tales of many former presidents in their bid for the top administrative post. Famously, President Moon Jae-in for the 2017 pr

Politics Feb. 23, 2022

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea claimed that the South Korean won is close to becoming a reserve currency, a comment that was immediately met with a huge uproar and mocked. During a presidential debate Monday, Lee said he is aware of a report that South Korea is close to seeing its local currency become a reserve currency like the US dollar, which will enable the country to increase its budgetary spending and raise the national debt level without worri

Politics Feb. 22, 2022

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea attacked his main rival Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party for his possible involvement in the Daejang-dong development scandal during the presidential TV debate Monday. The ruling party candidate held up a sign showing excerpts of a conversation between Kim Man-be, owner of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, and Jeong Young-hak, a public accountant and a stakeholder in the development project, that hi

Politics Feb. 21, 2022

Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea was accused of mimicking former conservative President Lee Myung-bak’s vision for economic growth of South Korea. Rep. Sim Sang-jung of the left-wing Justice Party asked during a televised presidential debate Monday if Lee Jae-myung, a liberal, was copying Lee Myung-bak in promising specific figures for target in laying out his economic initiatives even though the two figures have wildly different political ideol

Politics Feb. 21, 2022

South Koreans to this day have directly elected seven presidents to lead the country and are on course to vote for their eighth leader next month. Since direct elections began in 1987, every presidential candidate has carried slogans and signature policy aims to win support while outlining his or her vision. However outlandish or vain they may be, these promises have carried considerable weight in swaying voters. So it would not be unreasonable to expect policy to take center stage in debates

Politics Feb. 21, 2022