During the debate, Kim criticized Lee's "internal development strategy," stating, "While I agree with the idea of nurturing local businesses over attracting external companies, the reality is that local firms have limitations in their assets and capabilities to grow on their own." He emphasized the necessity of attracting external capital and large corporations, pointing out that Jeonbuk's competitiveness index was among the lowest in 2019, indicating that the internal development strategy had already failed.
In response, Lee argued that the weakening of local businesses was due to insufficient support for the economic ecosystem and stressed the importance of preparing for future industries while focusing on nurturing local enterprises. "It's not that we shouldn't pursue future industries and investment attraction; the internal development strategy must be at the core," he asserted.
Lee also launched an attack on Kim, raising allegations of his complicity in the "insurrection at the provincial office." He questioned Kim's compliance with illegal directives on December 3, stating, "The documents from the provincial office indicate that you followed the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's orders to restrict access to the office."
Kim countered, saying, "The second comprehensive special investigation concluded that there were no charges against me. Why should I apologize when that conclusion is not acknowledged?" He challenged Lee's claims, stating, "If the allegations of complicity in insurrection against me and the Jeonbuk provincial officials are false, I would stake my political life on it."
Lee rebutted, saying, "During the night of the insurrection, the Yoon Suk-yeol government's illegal martial law should have been opposed, not complied with. I pointed out that you acquiesced to it. I never said I would take political responsibility if the special investigation found no charges."
Yang also targeted Kim's political history and legal issues, questioning his ability to address Jeonbuk's pressing issues as an independent governor after changing parties six times. "Can you really resolve many of Jeonbuk's challenges as an independent governor?" he asked.
Kim clarified, "I only left the Democratic Party once and returned. This time, I was expelled against my will. To call this a party change or defection is misleading."
Yang further raised concerns about allegations of cash payments for a chauffeur service, labeling it a serious crime that could invalidate the election. "If you are elected governor and the judiciary deems your election invalid, it would paralyze the administration and incur huge costs for a re-election," he warned.
In response, Kim stated, "It has been clarified that the payments were made to young people for chauffeur services, and I took immediate action to recover the funds. As a legal professional, I have thoroughly reviewed this, and I expect a reasonable outcome from the prosecution and the courts."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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