The conservative Liberty Korea Party's presidential contenders launched into tirades against their powerful liberal rival during their policy debate Wednesday.
The primary debate of the former ruling party featured South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Hong Joon-pyo, former six-term lawmaker Rhee In-je, Rep. Kim Jin-tae and North Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kwan-yong.
The conservative Liberty Korea Party's presidential contenders (from L to R) -- South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Hong Joon-pyo, Rep. Kim Jin-tae, North Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Kwan-yong and former six-term lawmaker Rhee In-je -- pose for a photo before their debate in Busan on March 22, 2017. (Yonhap)
During the session, they mounted virulent attacks on front-runner Moon Jae-in, former leader of the largest Democratic Party, in an apparent move to unite divided conservatives behind them.
Moon has maintained a solid lead in various recent polls -- when the political landscape is heavily weighted toward the liberal bloc in the wake of a massive corruption scandal surrounding former conservative President Park Geun-hye and her confidante.
"The former Roh Moo-hyun government where Moon had taken core posts started with bribery and ended with bribery," Hong, a tough-talking former prosecutor, said during the debate session.
During the late president's presidency from 2003-2008, Moon served as his chief of staff and senior secretary for civil and social affairs. Roh committed suicide in 2009 amid a prosecutorial probe into his bribery scandal.
"Moon was a core member of the Roh administration. How can he be talking about the issue of stamping out accumulated evils (in our society)," Hong added.
Rhee chimed in to claim Moon was the one responsible for Roh's corruption scandal.
"Those who sullied the image of the former president with the corruption scandal and had him face a tragic end are now acting as if they have almost taken power," Rhee said. "That is not the historical justice."
The other two contenders highlighted the need to shore up conservative political forces and their values, and win in the May 9 presidential vote.
"We are facing the critical task of precluding Moon from erecting the leftist government," North Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim said. "The Liberty Korea Party should stand united to take the initiative."
Rep. Kim Jin-tae, a core ally of ousted President Park, highlighted the need to reunite conservative forces. But he criticized the splinter Bareun Party as a "bogus" conservative party and ruled out the possibility of unifying candidacy with the group.
During the debate, each presidential hopeful commented on Park's ouster.
Rhee and Kim Kwan-yong, in particular, apologized to the public, saying Park, a party member, was embroiled in the graft scandal.
Among the four, Hong has been rising in recent polls since Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, once bandied about as a conservative standard-bearer, announced last week that he will not run in the election.
In the latest weekly survey, released Monday by local pollster Realmeter, Hong garnered a 9.8 percent support rating. Hong took fifth place in the poll where Moon ranked first with 36.6 percent. (Yonhap)