As a run-up to the 2022 South Korean presidential election scheduled for March 9, four candidates clashed in a two-hour televised debate. The candidates sparred over their approaches to the United States and China as well as their plans to reinforce national missile defense against North Korea.
The debate, on the evening of Feb. 3, brought together Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), Yoon Suk-youl of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), Sim Sang-jung of the progressive Justice Party, and Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party.
Debate topics touched on foreign policy, national security, housing, the economy, and various hot topics.
Balanced Diplomacy Versus South Korea-US Alliance
On the issue of foreign policy, Lee underlined that South Korea should continue to develop a “strategic cooperative partnership” with China due to the country’s high-level dependence on trade, while Yoon commited to “further strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance,” according to The Korea Herald.Lee refused to answer when asked by the moderator to choose the first person he would meet with among the leaders of the United States, China, Japan, and North Korea, if he was elected as president.
Lee said his decision would depend on the meeting’s efficiency and usefulness, and he underscored the significance of ”balanced“ and “practical diplomacy centered on national interests.”
In response to the same question, Yoon said he would meet with the president of the United States first and then the leaders of Japan, China, and North Korea respectively.
Yoon emphasized the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance while denouncing the Moon Jae-in government’s inclination toward China and North Korea.
“The priority is to restore relationships with the United States and Japan, which have been fractured … during the period of the Democratic Party’s rule,” Yoon said.
Ahn had an attitude similar to Yoon’s, prioritizing South Korea-U.S. relations before China and the others.
National Missile Defense Against North Korea
THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) is a U.S.-designed and manufactured anti-missile system that South Korea installed between 2016 and 2017 to defend against North Korea’s nuclear missile build-up. However, Beijing has insisted that the deployment of THAAD affects China’s security and has since adopted a series of countermeasures against South Korea.Yoon openly endorsed the additional deployment of THAAD and purchasing THAAD batteries from the United States. However, Lee opposed the idea and proposed developing a homegrown missile defense system in fear of a backlash from Beijing.
Lee stressed the need for “practical diplomacy” as South Korea relies on China for 25 percent of its trade.
“Why redeploy such a useless thing [referring to THAAD] that also causes a backlash from China and harms [our] economy?” Lee said while citing the Moon-Jae-in government’s “Three No’s” policy.
In 2017, in an attempt to appease Beijing, the Moon Jae-in government outlined three principles for security known as the “Three No’s:” no additional deployment of the U.S. missile system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD; no participation in a U.S.-led regional missile defense system; and no morphing a trilateral security alliance with the United States and Japan into a military alliance.
In response, Yoon pointed out that it would take considerable time to deploy South Korea’s homegrown missile defense system, which is still under development.
“Only when deterrence is maintained … can South Korea’s ‘national security risk’ be reduced,” Yoon said.
The debate had a combined viewer rating of 39 percent on South Korea’s three major television stations—KBS, MBC, and SBS—ranking first in South Korean general election debates since 1997.
A study released on Feb. 4 by Research View put Yoon’s approval rating at 46 percent to Lee’s 38 percent.
Another survey by Korea Social Opinion Research Institute cited a 45.7 percent support rate for Yoon, against Lee’s 40 percent.
