In a tense Busan mayoral debate ahead of the June 3 local elections, candidates Jeon Jae-soo of the Democratic Party and Park Hyung-joon of the People Power Party fiercely accused each other of accepting gifts from the Unification Church during a supporter question-and-answer session. The exchange dominated roughly 10 minutes of the third round, marking one of the most intense moments of the event.
Unification Church Gift Allegations Escalate
Park Hyung-joon directly confronted Jeon, questioning ties to the church. “Lee Cheol-deuk’s niece dragged Michigan’s entire leadership into this mess,” Park stated, before probing further: “Is there any reason to believe you received a Cartier watch because of it?”
Park added that Jeon appeared evasive on church-related gifts, explaining them away as mere misunderstandings. Jeon responded by expressing regret, saying, “What happened at the church’s center truly fills me with deep remorse toward Busan citizens.” He also noted receiving cooperation from church-affiliated groups during a four-month joint campaign period.
Jeon countered, “Receiving offerings without official permission is just one thing, but claiming the watch was a gift shows the circumstances investigators are rightly probing.” Park pressed back: “Can’t answer? Maybe it’s because there’s no basis for such claims.” Jeon replied, “Do you think I received it based on church results? In this crucial time, massive Netflix selections and frame switches won’t emerge.”
LCT Apartment Special Allocation Under Fire
The candidates also sparred over the Elcity (LCT) special apartment allocations. Jeon criticized Park, stating, “You promised LCT units to citizens five years ago but haven’t delivered, even without broker special deals.” Park defended: “Failing to keep public promises demands accountability. My assurances of delivery hold true; otherwise, I’d be a total fraud unable to return home, which isn’t the case.”
Debate Turns to Busan Economic Revival
Shifting to Busan shipbuilding and growth strategies, Jeon highlighted challenges: “Over 30 years of stagnation and job losses pushed small businesses to collapse, marking Busan’s low point.” He urged, “To break this, create maritime manpower and open the Busan International Maritime Tribunal. Block HMM’s sale abroad, secure the major firm locally, and build a 50 trillion won Dongnam Shipbuilding conglomerate.”
Park emphasized achievements: “Over five years, investment incentives surged 28-fold by 2020 compared to shipbuilding employment and regular worker ratios, topping national rankings and signaling clear transformation.” He noted, “Shipbuilding leads nationwide, overseas maritime tourism visitors hit a record 24% rise.”
Park outlined future plans: “To foster Busan’s maritime AI hub, we’ve built ports and water data infrastructure, spurring medium and core industry tech innovation. Busan leads in globalizing a reliable system matched with AI infrastructure.”
