The three candidates running in the Busan Buk-A district by-election clashed head-on in a televised debate, exchanging sharp negative attacks. Ha Jung-woo, candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized independent candidate Han Dong-hoon as "a Gangnam man who only shouts about restoring conservatism," while Han countered by saying Ha "cannot raise a single objection to anything President Lee Jae-myung says." Park Min-shik, candidate of the People Power Party, attacked both rivals, saying, "Residents will not trust people who came down for just a month like a fly-by-night sales operation."
The three candidates sat face-to-face at the televised debate held at Busan MBC on the 28th, unleashing intense criticism at each other for over an hour. The clash between Han and Ha, who have formed a two-way race in recent opinion polls, continued throughout the debate, effectively turning it into a head-to-head confrontation between the two.
Ha fired the opening shot. After questioning the feasibility of Han's campaign pledges, he raised the level of attack by bringing up suspicions of a so-called "pseudo campaign office." "An imitation campaign office has recently been set up, and outsiders without voting rights are roaming around inconveniencing residents," Ha said. "Some say it's like a fly-by-night operation that mobilizes outside cheerleaders, only causes harm, and then leaves."
Han immediately counterattacked. "You are repeating exactly what you said on the Kim Eo-jun show. It seems you are being coached by Kim Eo-jun," he said pointedly. He continued, "Buk-gu should become a center where people and money gather. Is Ha going to drive out outsiders and turn Buk-gu into an island?"
The two candidates also clashed over issues related to President Lee. Han mentioned the special prosecutor bill on withdrawing the prosecution of President Lee, which the Democratic Party is pushing forward, and pressed Ha, "Do you support the withdrawal of prosecution? Or oppose it?"
Ha responded, "Is this a prosecutor's interrogation room? That's exactly why people say you cannot shake off your prosecutor habits." He added, "I will go to the National Assembly to gather citizens' opinions, and for now I will focus solely on the residents of Buk-gu."
Ha also took issue with Han's appointment of former lawmaker Chung Hyung-keun as the chair of his fundraising committee. "He installed someone who is the originator of red-baiting and political prosecutors as his fundraising chair. Is the conservatism Han claims to rebuild from the 1980s?" he sharply criticized.
Han explained, "I thought he was someone who could join me in regional development, given that he is recognized for contributing to regional development." He added, "By showing that a figure who symbolizes hardline conservatism is joining Han Dong-hoon's conservative rebuilding, I wanted to demonstrate that anyone can join us."
In addition, Han raised suspicions about Ha's alleged "Upstage stock parking," and Ha counterattacked by bringing up the "party member bulletin board incident" involving Han.
Park targeted Ha by highlighting a controversy over his birthplace, saying, "Buk-gu did not exist in October 1977 when you were born." Toward Han, he referenced Han's participation in the trial over former President Park Geun-hye's state affairs scandal, pressing him, "Do you think the sentence sought was appropriate?"
