Understanding South Korea’s Presidential Debate Criteria
As South Korea gears up for its presidential election, a peculiar scenario unfolds during the televised debates: only four out of the seven registered candidates are invited to participate. This selective invitation has sparked discussions about the fairness and transparency of the process. Let’s delve into why Lee Jae-myung, Kim Moon-soo, Lee Jun-seok, and Kwon Young-guk are the only ones taking the stage.
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In South Korea, the Public Official Election Act dictates the criteria for participation in televised debates, particularly under Article 82-2, which specifies the “invitation-based candidate debate” format. The criteria are as follows:
- The candidate must belong to a party with at least five seats in the National Assembly.
- The candidate’s party must have secured at least 3% of the vote in the previous presidential, legislative, or local elections.
- The candidate must have an average approval rating of at least 5% in polls designated by the National Election Commission.
Meeting any one of these criteria qualifies a candidate for the debates. Consequently, in the 2025 presidential election, only four candidates met these standards.
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Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party fulfills both the seat and past voting percentage criteria. Kim Moon-soo from the People Power Party also meets the assembly seat and historical voting benchmarks. Although Lee Jun-seok of the Reform New Party lacks sufficient seats, his polling numbers meet the 5% threshold. Kwon Young-guk, despite lacking seats, benefits from the past voting performance of the Justice Party, which met the 3% requirement.
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Why are Goo Joo-hwa, Hwang Kyo-ahn, and Song Jin-ho absent from these debates? Goo Joo-hwa’s Liberty Unification Party holds no seats and lacks a notable voting history or polling numbers. Independent candidate Hwang Kyo-ahn is not tied to any party-based voting history or seat count, and his polling does not meet the criteria. Similarly, Song Jin-ho, also independent, does not fulfill any of the criteria due to lack of party affiliation or polling success.
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Non-invited candidates are not entirely excluded. They are given one opportunity to participate in a “non-invited candidate debate,” usually scheduled late at night, often post-10 PM, when viewership is low. During the 2022 election, candidate Heo Kyung-young expressed discontent after participating in a late-night debate, noting that despite paying the same 300 million won deposit, his exposure to voters was significantly limited.
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The criteria, while seemingly objective, have been criticized for favoring established parties. New parties without parliamentary seats or past election participation struggle to meet these benchmarks. Achieving a 5% polling rate is challenging without media exposure, posing a significant barrier for new or independent candidates. Cases like Lee Jun-seok’s are rare, while most candidates lack the platform to present their policies to the electorate.
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Given the constraints of broadcasting time, featuring all candidates equally is impractical. However, the current system of offering just one late-night opportunity for non-invited candidates is inadequate. Proposals for reform include hosting multiple debates or distributing them across more accessible time slots to allow voters better access to all candidates’ policies. Moreover, ensuring some level of public exposure for officially registered candidates is gaining support.
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The presence of Lee Jae-myung, Kim Moon-soo, Lee Jun-seok, and Kwon Young-guk in prime-time debates is a result of meeting legal criteria. Yet, it is crucial to question whether these criteria align with the current political landscape and voter expectations. To promote political diversity and broaden voter choice, the focus should shift towards achieving substantive fairness over mere procedural equality. Television debates are more than just programs; they are vital democratic tools enabling informed voter decisions, underscoring the urgency of reform.
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