Candidate Lee, the leader and his opponent King clashed in the first of three TV debates.

Two South Korean presidential candidates, Lee Jae-Myung and Kim Moon-soo, held the first of three TV debates as the match strengthened the contest to replace former President Yoon Suk-Yeol, who was controversial in April for the announcement of martial arts in the second half of last year.

Yoon's strike has sparked political unrest across the country and is scheduled to take place on June 3.

Lee amid a fierce debate on Sunday The candidates of the main opposition Democratic Party and the frontrunners of the game face criticism that their opponents are too friendly to China, which quoted his comment that South Korea does not need to participate in the China Taewang dispute.

However, Lee believes pragmatism is key to his foreign policy, saying the country “should not go all out” to coalition with traditional allies and called for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

He added that managing China and Russia’s relations is important, while pointing out that security cooperation with the United States and Japan is necessary.

Lee also advocates putting South Korea’s interests first in response to U.S. tariffs, more investment in artificial intelligence (AI), protection of union workers, and a four-and-a-half-day working week.

Lee said during the two-hour debate that Seoul does not need to rush to reach a trade deal with Washington.

South Korea has begun trade talks with the U.S. and is seeking to slap the country's 25% tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump in April - after Seoul was one of the first countries to negotiate in-person with Washington, following in Japan.

"I think we should prepare carefully and win-winly for this situation," Lee added. He also believes that South Korea needs to cultivate high-tech and renewable energy industries to overcome low economic growth.

"We will focus on developing so-called sovereign AI so that our employees can at least use chatgpt like electronic calculators for free," he said.

Kim, the candidate of the conservative People's Power Party, vowed to create jobs and relax the development of business.

King also pledged to build a government agency dedicated to innovating regulations and investing in more than 5% of the budget.

Asia's fourth-largest economy was struggling for exports and consumption in the first quarter and was therefore signed in the first quarter due to concerns about the impact of Washington's positive tariffs and domestic political turmoil.

Lee received 51% support in the latest Gallup South Korean poll released on Friday and received 51% support, with Kim falling behind 29%.

Lee called for constitutional reform earlier that day, allowing four years of service through a referendum, two presidency and two rounds of presidential elections. The South Korean president currently serves five years.

He also vowed to curb the president's right to declare martial law and comply with those declared responsible on December 3.

Former President Yun once claimed that he announced martial law and that anti-national and North Korean troops infiltrated the government. But senior military and police officials sent to close the country's National Assembly testified that he ordered them to detain rival politicians and prevent parliament from voting to cancel its military rule order.