PPP CANDIDATES HOLD DEBATE IN DAEGU

[Anchor Lead]

Presidential hopefuls from the People Power Party gathered in the conservative city of Daegu for a debate. They attacked Yoon Seok-youl’s remark that seemed to defend ex-President Chun Doo-hwan who rose to power by staging a coup, Yoon Seok-youl today expressed regret over his remarks.

[Pkg]

Yoon Seok-youl was criticized for commenting that ex-President Chun Doo-hwan did good politics except for the military coup and the oppression of the Gwangju democratic movement.

[Soundbite] Hong Joon-pyo(PPP Presidential Candidate) : "There was no politics during the 5th Republic, only dictatorship. I was a prosecutor back then. I prosecuted President Chun’s older brother."

[Soundbite] Yoo Seong-min(PPP Presidential Candidate) : "Former President Chun Doo-hwan was found guilty of high treason and homicide for the purpose of treason. You’re thinking of becoming a second Former President Chun?"

The former Prosecutor General claimed he had always maintained that the spirit of the May 18th democratic movement should be included in the Constitution.

[Soundbite] Yoon Seok-youl(PPP Presidential Candidate) : "Once the primary is over, I will run over to Gwangju and comfort them more sincerely than I had ever done before."

Many PPP presidential hopefuls made comments courting the voters in the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do region.

[Soundbite] Won Hee-ryong(PPP Presidential Candidate) : "Former President Park Chung-hee can be seen as a textbook case of how to use the right people."

[Soundbite] Yoon Seok-youl(PPP Presidential Candidate) : "Former President Park Chung-hee always divided power and made them check against each other."

The candidates all criticized Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung’s alleged involvement in the controversial development project and Lee’s astronomical attorney fee which was supposedly paid by someone else.

[Soundbite] Won Hee-ryong(PPP Presidential Candidate) : "One of Lee Jae-myung’s suspicions has to do with his supposedly astronomical lawyer fees."

[Soundbite] Hong Joon-pyo(PPP Presidential Candidate) : "It would take at least KRW 2 bn by common judicial sense to retain such lawyers."

[Soundbite] Yoo Seong-min(PPP Presidential Candidate) : "It is possible that Governor Lee might have received bribes or other illegal political funds."

The leading opposition party will hold five more debates before selecting its final candidate on November 5th.