Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung attends a campaign meeting in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
Campaign heads of major parties here are causing controversy due to their comments about Argentina and Venezuela, as they each cited the South American countries' economic hardships as bad examples that could happen to Korea if voters elect their rivals.
Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung said during an interview with a YouTube show hosted by journalist Kim Ou-joon on Tuesday that the upcoming April 10 general elections are "a struggle for survival" and that Korea may "end up being like Argentina."
"I don't want to talk about other countries, but we may end up being like Argentina if things go wrong," Lee said. "Just think about how well-off that country was. [The] country has collapsed when its politics retrograded."
He also said Brazil is now making efforts to salvage itself after losing its status as the world's seventh-largest economy due to the dictatorship by law enforcement authorities and prosecutors, and Korea is also facing "the same watershed moment."
Lee was referring to prosecutors' dominance in key government positions in the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and the legal battles that he has been facing after Yoon took office in 2022. Yoon is a former prosecutor-general.
This is not the first time that Lee cited Argentina as a bad example that Korea may follow. On March 20, Lee said, "If the ruling party controls the National Assembly, it will attempt to change all of the country's laws, systems and institutions, and we may end up being like Argentina forever."
On the international diplomatic stage, Korea has been seeking to improve its partnership with Argentina in recent months, given that the country's abundant natural resources, including lithium, can work in synergy with Korean battery makers.
On the occasion of the Group of 20 summit in September last year, Yoon had a summit with then-President Alberto Fernandez to discuss economic partnership and sent minister of policy coordination Bang Ki-sun to the inauguration ceremony of current President Javier Milei in December.
Ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon, center, and People Future Party election campaign head Ihn Yo-han, left, enter a restaurant in Shindang-dong, Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps
Regarding Lee's comments, ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon denounced them saying that the main opposition leader is making "bizarre comments" and noted that Argentina's economic difficulties are stemming from the country's left-wing populist policies, better known as Peronism.
"As seen by anyone, Argentina is a regrettable example of a country that has faced difficulties due to successive populist policies of left-wing governments," Han said during a street canvassing event in Ulsan. "All rational people know that Lee's policy promises will bring similar results."
Han was referring to Lee's policy proposal on Sunday that the government should pay 250,000 won ($185) per every person under the name of a "subsidy for restoring public livelihood." Lee is known as an advocate for a universal basic income.
During the presidential election in 2022, he promised to provide at least 1 million won for every person every month to improve the social welfare of the country.
Ihn Yo-han, election campaign head of the People Future Party, a satellite party of the PPP for proportional representation, also said on Tuesday that ideology is a very important matter in the upcoming elections, citing Venezuela as a reference.
"Romantic people love socialism, but that doesn't work out," Ihn said. "Let's not go that way. If we do, we'll end up like Venezuela."
Venezuela has been suffering from hyperinflation and other economic crises that happened during the decades-long dictatorship by former President Hugo Chavez and his successor Nicolas Maduro.
The South American country is set to hold the presidential election on July 24, and its main opposition was barred from registering its candidate twice, however, it managed to field Edmundo Gonzalez as a provisional candidate.
Critics say it is a problem that politicians make an issue of diplomatic and security matters without considering how their ill-considered remarks affect diplomatic relations.
