Presidential candidates clash over security, job creation in 4th TV debate

SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) – The top five presidential candidates on Tuesday clashed over security, job creation and economic polarization during their fourth televised debate with the election just two weeks away.

During the nearly three-hour roundtable discussion hosted by local daily Joong-Ang Ilbo, its cable TV network JTBC and the Korean Political Science Association, the candidates converged on the need to bolster defense against a provocative North Korea, but remained different on the origins of the security crisis and how to tackle it.

Front-runner Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party upbraided the preceding conservative governments for failing to rein in Pyongyang's military threats, calling right-wing candidates' much-vaunted security forte "fake."

Two conservative candidates -- Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party and Yoo Seong-min of the Bareun Party -- shifted the blame onto the former two liberal governments for the growth of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

They contended that the past governments, led by former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, contributed to the cash-strapped communist state's development of weapons of mass destruction with their massive financial aid.

Sim Sang-jeung of the progressive Justice Party echoed Moon's position, accusing right-wingers of politically utilizing security issues to get the upper hand in the election battle.

The five candidates also concurred on the pressing need for job growth, but they were split on how to create jobs.

The hottest clash on the issue came as Yoo called into question whether Moon can possibly follow through on his pledge to secure new 810,000 jobs in the public sector with his estimated budget of 21 trillion won (US$18.5 billion).

Yoo criticized Moon for underestimating the cost of creating those jobs. Moon told Yoo to ask the question to his campaign policy chief and urged him to put forward his own way to create jobs. Yoo, in turn, took issue with Moon's lack of sincerity.

To encourage local businesses to create more jobs and make more investments at home, Hong stressed the need to remove militant labor unionists, which he cited as a core reason why they have relocated their factories overseas.

Ahn criticized Hong's pledge to create jobs through carrying out massive infrastructure projects, stressing that the corporate sector must lead job creation efforts with the government playing a supporting role.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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