PPP CANDIDATES HOLD DEBATE

[Anchor Lead]

Four presidential candidates of the main opposition People Power Party who made it through the second primary cutoff went down to Gwangju on Monday with party leaders for their first joint debate. The contenders and party leadership all launched an offensive against ruling party's Lee Jae-myung while one of the four candidates Yoon Seok-youl continues to be embroiled in a superstition controversy.

[Pkg]

​​PPP presidential hopefuls have visited Gwangju for their first joint stage in the primary battle. Together with the party leadership, they paid respects at the May 18th National Cemetery. The key topic of a Supreme Council meeting that followed was the ruling Democratic Party's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung.

[Soundbite] Lee Jun-seok(PPP chair) : "Public opinion is turning against Lee. I believe the public handed down judgment in the latest primary round."

Regarding allegations surrounding a land development project, one PPP member even called Lee a criminal.

[Soundbite] Hong Joon-pyo(PPP primary candidate) : "A clear statement has been made that the culprit of the Daejang-dong allegations can't compete in the election."

[Soundbite] Yoo Seong-min(PPP primary candidate) : "A criminal as a ruling party candidate, this is a truly shocking event."

In the first four-way debate held in the Jeollado provinces, each candidate argued to be THE rightful person to face off Lee Jae-myung.

[Soundbite] Hong Joon-pyo(PPP primary candidate) : "Lee Jae-myung has won the DP presidential ticket. Only myself, a much cleaner candidate, can face Lee."

These back and forth arguments also took place.

[Soundbite] Won Hee-ryong(PPP primary candidate) : "You all say you're the one to take down Lee but you come to Jeolla-do without even studying his campaign pledges?"

[Soundbite] Yoon Seok-youl(PPP primary candidate) : "I did take a look but can't remember details at the moment."

[Soundbite] Hong Joon-pyo(PPP primary candidate): "It doesn't even take a day to learn the content."

Controversy over Yoon Seok-youl's apparent reliance on superstition also continued.

[Soundbite] Yoo Seong-min(PPP primary candidate) : "YouTuber ‘Jungbub’ says a red palm is due to energy released from the palm."

[Soundbite] Yoon Seok-youl(PPP primary candidate) : "I've been dedicated to my work based on sharp reason, evidence and rationality."

[Soundbite] Yoo Seong-min(PPP primary candidate) : "Did you also take the YouTuber's advice when stepping down from the prosecutor-general position?"

[Soundbite] Yoon Seok-youl(PPP primary candidate) : "No. There were hundreds of people telling me to quit."

Yoon also bristled at the mention of his wife's alleged stock price manipulation.

[Soundbite] Yoo Seong-min(PPP primary candidate) : "If Lee and Yoon allegations are not investigated to uncover the truth, they could end up the same as ex-president Lee Myung-bak's DAS scandal."

[Soundbite] Yoon Seok-youl(PPP primary candidate) : "Watch your words."

The PPP will hold nine more debates in the primary process.