S. Korea's Presidential Candidates Face Off in Fiery Debate

Front runner Lee cautions against haste in trade deal with US; Kim vows to create jobs

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SEOUL - South Korea's presidential candidates faced off in a heated first TV debate on the evening of May 18, ahead of a snap election on June 3 to choose a successor to former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached over his short-lived martial law declaration last December.

Lee Jae-myung, the main opposition Democratic Party's candidate and the front runner in the race, has faced criticism from opponents of being too friendly to China, citing his comments that South Korea does not need to get involved in China-Taiwan disputes.

But Lee, who considers pragmatism key to his foreign policy, said the country "should not go all-in" on its alliance with Washington, and that managing China and Russia relations was important, although security cooperation with the US and Japan is necessary.