Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party presidential candidate, and Lee Jun-seok, the Reform Party candidate, showed a clear difference in their positions on 'unification' right after the last presidential candidate broadcast debate on the 27th. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, noted, "I will unify the forces of insurrection" to keep the two candidates in check.
After the third presidential debate held at the MBC studio in Mapo-gu, Seoul, at 8 p.m. that day, Kim said to reporters, "We all need to unite to win," and added, "It won't be easy in various situations, but we will do our best to unite our party. During the remaining period, we will put forth every effort to protect the democracy of Korea and overcome the national crisis so that we can definitely become one."
He added, "The Korean economy is at a critical crossroads of whether it can escape from long-term structural stagnation or whether it can overcome the crisis and take off again, so it must be done more than ever. To win, we must come together."
However, he did not mention whether his statement of 'doing all we can' was in mind for unification with candidate Lee Jun-seok. He also stated that he had no plans to meet separately with candidate Lee Jun-seok that day.
Candidate Lee Jun-seok, who has consistently drawn the line regarding unification with candidate Kim, reaffirmed his firm stance after the debate. He said, "I have not received any proposal to meet from candidate Kim at all, and I have no plans to meet," adding, "As I firmly stated today during the day to prevent any misunderstanding, I am not interested in unification."
Regarding the possibility of candidate Kim coming to discuss unification, he said, "I have no idea whether I will be at my home in Dongtan today or somewhere else," and added, "Candidate Kim won't even know where I am."
He criticized Lee Jae-myung's debate behavior, stating, "It seems that he has been consistent in not accurately answering questions directed at him today."
He added, "The risks related to Lee Jae-myung's diplomatic security are more serious than the judicial risks," and noted, "Given that a president involved in remittances related to North Korea would inevitably destabilize our country's diplomacy, this must be taken into account."
He asserted, "It can be seen how disregarding the judicial system appears when he keeps blaming the prosecution and investigative agencies for his judicial risks."
Lee Jae-myung commented on the possibility of unification between candidates Kim and Lee Jun-seok, stating, "They seem to prioritize personal and political interests over the national community and the people's interests, so I think they will seek unification of insurrection forces to maximize their interests." He continued, "I cannot predict which way this will go, but it is only natural that forces of insurrection and the political groups that agree with them will seek to unify to strengthen their power."
Regarding his feelings after the presidential debate, he said, "Debate is about showcasing one's strengths and pointing out the shortcomings of the opponent, so either candidate Lee Jun-seok or candidate Kim could certainly do that," adding, "Since I learned a lot through the debate process, that can be considered a gain."
He continued, "If I become president, I will certainly respect all Koreans, whether they support me or not, or are indifferent, and I will strive to provide them with the same opportunities and work together. I will be a president of unity."
He also said, "Please remember that through the avatar of Kim Moon-soo, 'former president' Yoon Suk-yeol can return spectacularly."
Kwon Young-guk, the Democratic Labor Party candidate, expressed disappointment, saying, "It was regrettable that the discussion about how to lead Korea degenerated into attacks on the opponent and was a consistent negative campaign." He added, "Progressive politics will devote all efforts to uniting the people's lives and resolving the hostile politics of the two parties and identity politics."