Presidential candidates debate on health care reforms, energy in 2nd TV debate

Four presidential candidates sparred over social issues in their second TV debate Friday, with the June 3 election just 11 days away.

Pension and healthcare reforms were among the key agenda items at the debate, hosted by the National Election Commission.

Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung, the front-runner, engaged in a heated debate with Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party (NRP), who questioned him on the funding sources for expanded healthcare benefits.

DP candidate Lee stressed the need to “comprehensively support nursing and caregiving with the scope permitted by healthcare finances.”

“There is a need to expand it according to financial conditions, depending on factors like beneficiaries and types of illnesses,” he said.

Lee Jun-seok emphasized the need for prioritization, arguing that the required expenditure is much larger than planned.

“I am asking if we won’t face a situation where health insurance premiums must be significantly raised,” he questioned.

Nuclear energy was another topic at the debate.

The NRP’s Lee said former President Moon Jae-in, also of the DP, consistently doubted the safety of nuclear power and even hindered overseas sales of Korean nuclear technology.

DP candidate Lee countered that while nuclear power is relatively cheap for now, it could actually be a “very expensive energy source considering waste disposal costs and risk costs.”

“I have never said Korean nuclear power plants are dangerous … My position is that we should consider using existing ones longer,” he said.

However, he posed a question, saying “If we were to build additional nuclear power plants somewhere in the country, I’d like to ask where the suitable sites are.”

As the election campaign passed its halfway point, opinion polls still put DP candidate Lee in front, but the gap between Lee and People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo had narrowed this week.

NRP candidate Lee garnered his first double-digit support, as Kim continued to appeal the NRP candidate to merge their candidacies to better challenge the DP’s Lee.

On Thursday, the NRP’s Lee declared that he would not drop his candidacy until Election Day.

A Gallup Korea poll released Friday showed support for the DP’s Lee at 45 percent, followed by Kim with 36 percent and the NRP’s Lee with 10 percent.

Compared with a week ago, the DP’s Lee lost 6 percentage points, while Kim and the NRP’s Lee gained 7 percentage points and 2 percentage points, respectively.

The upcoming election will choose a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached over a botched martial law attempt in December.