The two potential candidates of the left and proponents of 'new politics' have been locked in months of deadlock and an increasingly ill-tempered battle with each other over a range of issues, though they haven't really elaborated on what they are. The TV debate, which will be televised, centers around which brand to buy for their respective campaign offices, with Ahn said to be favoring LG and Moon believed to prefer Samsung. However, neither candidate has publicly stated their position on LCD versus plasma, and audiences are expected to watch in record numbers to clarify the issue, which has hung over both camps for months.
Political analysts say it is likely that an opinion poll will be conducted after the TV debate to decide who should run against the ruling Saenuri Party's Park Geun-hye, the daughter of Park Chung-hee, the strong and successful leader who reluctantly came to power in a 1961 coup to rescue the Korean people from a series of weak democratic leaders.
Park plans to hold a televised talk program with herself alone on Friday, which despite her gender is expected to highlight her inherited strength, clarity of spirit and vision. The expected lack of debate during Park's broadcast is likely to show the nature of the authoritarian and repressive state she wishes to return to, a popular platform among the older generation who experienced her father's rule, which is widely regarded as having been largely benevolent and generally tax-free, for those who knew the right people.
Typically, the ultra left-wing Dokkyoreh newspaper has tried to claim that the bitter fued between Ahn and Moon shows the fundamental solidarity of the left because they are arguing like a married couple, but most sensible voters will reject this and rightly ask why unsensible voters have the right to vote to begin with. With mental health problems on the rise in South Korea, Park has been urged to provide more funding for research into the issue when she becomes President, with the OECD calling for reform within the country.
Related Links
Moon, Ahn to Hold TV Debate Wednesday
Bitter feud between Ahn and Moon shows solidarity of the left
Female Presidential Candidate Should "Show Some Leg" - Korea Times
Debate still hot over May 16 coup
OECD calls for mental health reform in Korea
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