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In this file photo, Yoon Suk-yeol (L), the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, attend an event for small merchants in Seoul last Tuesday. (Yonhap) |
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) proposed Thursday that the two leading presidential candidates hold a one-on-one debate on top of an expanded televised debate.
Rep. Sung Il-jong, the party's lead negotiator for arranging TV debates, made the proposal in a press conference at the PPP headquarters, a day after a court stopped the country's three major broadcasters from hosting a one-on-one debate between its candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and ruling Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung.
"Let's have a bilateral debate on Jan. 31 at the National Assembly or at a third-party site," he said.
"The court's injunction reflects the large influence a debate hosted by broadcasters has on the election, but we believe it is fine to hold a debate that is not hosted by broadcasters and agreed upon by the two sides," he added.
The DP and PPP previously sought to hold a one-on-one TV debate on Sunday or Monday, but the plan was foiled by the successful injunction requests of presidential candidates Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People's Party and Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justice Party.
The broadcasters -- KBS, MBC and SBS -- have suggested a four-way debate involving all the candidates on Jan. 31 or Feb. 3 and requested a response from the parties by 6 p.m. Thursday. (Yonhap)
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