Lee Jun-seok Urges Reversal of Busan Mayoral TV Debate Exclusion…Visits Jeong Ihan’s Hunger Strike Site
Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, visited the hunger strike site of Busan mayoral preliminary candidate Jeong Ihan in Busan on the 9th. He said there was a problem with the decision to exclude Jeong from the Busan mayoral election TV debate and called for it to be reversed.
Lee explained that TV debates are an important opportunity for candidates to introduce themselves to voters. He said excluding someone from a debate because of low approval ratings is similar to requiring work experience from a new applicant. He also argued that such a decision could block opportunities for young politicians to grow.
Preliminary candidate Jeong Ihan has continued his hunger strike in protest of the decision to exclude him from the TV debate. The Reform Party believes this decision does not align with the principle of fair competition and maintains that more candidates should be given the opportunity to participate in debates.
This visit shows that the criteria for participation in TV debates are becoming an important issue ahead of the Busan mayoral election. Discussions over election management standards and opportunities for candidate participation are expected to continue.