S. Korean candidates clash over economy in first debate

South Korea's presidential candidates faced off in their first TV debate on Sunday evening, 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 in December.

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Sunday's debate, the first of three TV debates scheduled over the next two weeks, focused on how to revitalise the struggling economy, one of the hot-button election issues.

Lee Jae-myung, the main opposition Democratic Party's candidate and the frontrunner in the race, came under a flurry of questions in the heated, rapid-fire first debate.

He advocated more investment in artificial intelligence (Al), protection for unionised workers, a 4-1/2-day working week and putting South Korea's interests first in responding to US tariffs.

There was no need for Seoul to rush to reach a trade agreement with Washington, Lee said.

"I think we should prepare well for this situation delicately and competently," Lee added, also arguing South Korea needs to nurture high-tech and renewable energy industries to overcome low economic growth. "We will focus on developing so-called sovereign Al so our people can at least use something like ChatGPT for free like an electronic calculator," he said.

Kim Moon-soo, candidate for the conservative People Power Party, vowed to create jobs and deregulate to foster businesses.