SEOUL: South Korea’s presidential candidates will face off in their first TV debate on Sunday evening (May 18) ahead of a snap election on Jun 3, to choose a successor to former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.
Sunday’s debate, the first of three TV debates scheduled over the next two weeks, will focus on how to revitalise the struggling economy, one of the hot-button election issues.
Asia’s fourth-largest economy contracted in the first quarter as exports and consumption stalled amid fears over the impact of Washington’s aggressive tariffs and political turmoil at home.
South Korea has begun trade talks with the United States and is seeking a waiver from the tariffs.
After US President Donald Trump slapped 25 per cent tariffs on South Korea in April, Seoul was one of the first countries to hold face-to-face talks with Washington, following in the footsteps of Japan.
Source: CNA
