Five GNP Presidential Candidates Hold First Debate

The first debate among Grand National Party presidential hopefuls, including former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak, former party chairwoman Park Geun-hye, lawmakers Hong Jun-pyo, Won Hee-ryong, and Goh Jin-hwa, was held at the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement Memorial Hall yesterday. In the first policy debate on economic policy, the candidates explained their pledges and criticized each other’s campaigns.

Former Seoul mayor Lee vowed to achieve the goals of 7 percent economic growth on average and a per capital income of $40,000, and stressed that prosperity will come with the construction of a great canal across the Korean peninsula as part of his campaign.

Former Chairwoman Park promised to design policies supporting household economies with measures such as a 30 percent reduction in call charges.

In the debate segment, lawmakers Hong and Goh dismissed Lee’s canal building plan as environmentally destructive. They said that if a ship accident occurs, it could seriously contaminate water resources, and that the plan has no adequate flood prevention measure.

In response, Lee said that the canal could provide a fundamental solution to water quality improvement, given the costly budget of 20 trillion won required to maintain water quality in the Nakdong and Han rivers by 2015. He added that many civic groups and experts who had objected to the Cheonggye Stream restoration project later turned supportive.

Meanwhile, Park refuted Lee, saying that even annual growth of up to 7 percent cannot transform Korea into the world’s seventh largest economy.

Lee rebutted that it is a goal based on “can-do” spirit.

As to Park’s campaign, the former Seoul mayor asked about specific plans to complement her tax reduction scheme. Lawmaker Hong mentioned Park’s campaign to follow in Thatcherism, by saying that Britain’s unemployment rate soared to as high as 11 percent under the prime minister’s leadership.

Park answered that nine trillion won can be saved annually if budget money is wisely spent, cutting corners in overlapping projects in the public sector. She went on to say that the U.K. has become the most influential country in Europe thanks to Thatcher’s commitment and effort without pandering to the public.

The next policy debate on education and welfare will be held in Busan on June 8.

sunshade@donga.com