The People Power Party has determined the lineup for the second preliminary debate to select its presidential candidate. The debate on the 24th will feature candidates Kim Moon-soo and Han Dong-hoon, and Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Moon-soo facing off. On the 25th, Han Dong-hoon and Hong Joon-pyo will debate, and all four candidates will participate in a debate on the 26th.
The People Power Party's election management committee held a 'Second Preliminary Debate Media Day' on the afternoon of the 23rd at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul.
According to the results of Media Day, candidate Kim will first debate candidate Han at 4 p.m. on the 24th. Later that day at 5:30 p.m., Ahn and Kim will face each other.
The following day, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the 25th, candidates Han and Hong will engage in a debate. The two sides will debate for three hours, pointing at each other. A four-person debate is scheduled for the 26th.
On this day, the order of designation was given based on who had the quickest remarks of 'running for office' during the first Media Day, limited to about 60 seconds.
First, candidate Kim designated candidate Han. Kim stated, "I have many questions for candidate Han and many things I want to discuss," adding, "I chose him because I want to ask about the process of our party having to make selections again after the impeachment."
He continued, "He is a figure that all our citizens expect," and expressed, "I want to discuss how we will navigate through this difficult situation for both the people and the party."
In response, candidate Han said, "I personally like candidate Kim. He is an upright person," and suggested, "I believe we can have a straightforward, honest conversation and a pleasant debate." He also noted, "He seems to be genuinely engaging in politics. I have never doubted candidate Kim's patriotism," but added, "However, we cannot avoid discussing the martial law and impeachment in this election. Let's talk honestly and aim for a winning direction."
Candidate Ahn also designated candidate Kim. Ahn explained, "I chose him because I need to ask the questions I couldn't during the first debate and inform the public of Kim's straightforward thoughts." He added regarding Kim's virtues, "He is the most honest and upright politician I have met," saying, "I believe he is a senior from whom I can learn a lot."
When asked if he was prepared for the focused questions on artificial intelligence (AI) that candidate Ahn had asked in the previous debate, candidate Kim replied, "I will study a lot and learn a lot from candidate Ahn during the debate." He remarked about Ahn, "Even though he's a doctor, he founded AhnLab and is also involved in politics," expressing hope that Ahn, as an entrepreneur, scientist, and physician, could cure all illnesses.
The next in line, candidate Han, designated candidate Hong. Han stated, "We need to show the public how rigorously we are reflecting and moving forward. So, I should debate with candidate Han," he added. In response, Hong instantly thanked him by saying, "Thank you for designating me, candidate Han," and then declared, "I will also designate candidate Han."
Candidate Han mentioned Hong's strengths, stating, "He has a lot of experience and things to learn from," and noted, "This is the first time I talked with him closely; he's a charming individual and shared many good insights." Candidate Hong commented, "He is smart and handsome."
Ahead of the second preliminary debate, the tension among the candidates was evident.
Candidate Hong noted, "I thought none of the three would designate me. So, I suggested during the waiting time that we should designate each other," implying he pointed at candidate Han. When asked what questions he would pose during the debate, he jokingly replied, "That can't be revealed."
Especially, candidate Hong said, "I was hoping that candidate Ahn would designate me. He’s an easy target," to which Ahn replied, "I missed the chance because I spoke first." Regarding why he was not designated by the other candidates, he laughed and said, "It's because they envy me."
In contrast, candidate Han, who was designated by two others as a debate partner, expressed, "This is proof that I am a strong candidate."