NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING CONTINUES

[Anchor Lead]

Negative campaigning is accelerating between the two major parties despite the candidates’ policy moves. The main opposition People Power Party has dissolved a unit under its election headquarters following allegations of a shaman being one of its members but the ruling Democratic Party continues to highlight the controversy. A voice recording of DP presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung laced with foul language has also been disclosed.

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Just one day after allegations emerged that a shaman was appointed as an adviser to the PPP’s election headquarters, the party acted quickly and disbanded the unit in question saying it was candidate Yoon Suk-yeol’s decision. A video circulated showing the shaman known as Monk Geonjin being near Yoon, but the PPP explained he was neither officially appointed to the election camp nor involved in its operations.

[Soundbite] Yoon Suk-yeol(PPP Pres. Candidate) : "It is right to take swift measures if there can be any public misunderstanding."

Meanwhile the ruling party ramped up its offensive. As if to link the controversy to Yoon’s leadership qualification, the DP used strong words to criticize the opposition candidate as someone bewitched by shamanism.

[Soundbite] Yun Ho-jung(DP Floor Leader) : "A close official to Yoon is a shaman and his wife is a bigger central figure. The shamanism-linked election unit is being brought to light."

Meanwhile on the DP side, phone conversations of Lee Jae-myung containing foul language have been disclosed. The file was unveiled by Jang Yeong-ha, a lawyer and member of a PPP committee devoted to vetting Lee’s credentials. The revelation appears to be a tit for tat after phone conversations between Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife Kim Keon-hee and a reporter were aired by a local broadcaster. The recorded files amount to around 160 minutes. The conversations include those involving a feud with his brother over his admittance into a psychiatric hospital and talks involving Yoo Dong-kyu, a former executive at Seongnam Development Corporation who is standing trial over the Daejangdong scandal.

[Soundbite] Jang Yeong-ha(PPP committee on vetting Lee Jae-myung’s credentials) : "The files contain dozens of phone calls Lee had with his brother and sister-in-law."

Following the disclosure, Lee Jae-myung said the files were already made public and offered another apology.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(DP Pres. Candidate) : "There are some matters difficult to explain, but I deeply apologize once again for causing concerns as a public figure."

The DP vowed to sue the lawyer on charges of slander. The presidential race is marred by a continued slugfest of voice recordings and legal battles between the two major parties.