Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, said regarding his claim that there should be a difference in fees between electricity production and consumption, "It will be difficult to raise electricity rates for the time being." He drew the line against recent criticisms that the party is passive on women's pledges, saying, "That is not correct."

On Nov. 16, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, delivers a speech appealing for support at a rally held at the old city hall plaza in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province. /Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

On the afternoon of the 16th, after finishing a meeting with young traditional musicians at Cheongyeonru in Jeonju, the candidate said, "The current domestic economic situation is very bad, and livelihoods are difficult, so I believe it's hard to touch on electricity rates right now."

Earlier, while campaigning in Iksan and Gunsan in North Jeolla Province, the candidate made remarks suggesting that electricity rates in rural areas should be lowered, while those in the densely populated metropolitan area should be raised to attract corporations. He said, "If electricity is produced in rural areas, it should be cheap there, and consumption sites will have to pay more with transmission costs added," adding, "Then corporations will have no choice but to move to places where electricity is cheaper."

When asked if he was referring to raising electricity rates, he explained, "I did not mention a policy to raise electricity rates, but rather pointed out the reality that it will eventually go that way in the long term" and added, "The difference between production and consumption sites will likely be inevitable in the process of adjusting electricity rates."

Regarding the criticism that "the Democratic Party avoids mentioning women's policies," the candidate emphasized that "continuous efforts for improvement are necessary." He announced women's pledges that included measures such as ▲introduction of employment equality wage disclosure system and ▲strengthening punishment for dating violence crimes.

The candidate emphasized, "Women face discrimination in many areas. Special protective policies are needed so that women can live equally as members of society," adding, "The criticism that the Democratic Party has no policies or does not mention women is not correct."