South Korea's presidential campaign turned nasty Sunday as candidates focused on attacking rivals during their third TV debate over alleged wrongdoings, from kowtowing to North Korea to assisting in an attempted rape and fanning malicious rumors.
The five candidates met in a joint debate hosted by the National Election Commission to discuss issues related to foreign policy, national security and political reforms.
But they spent much of the two-hour discussion at the KBS broadcasting station on political and ideological offensives and the disclosure of past scandals involving opponents.
The prime target at the outset was Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party whose past confession of his role in a friend's attempted rape 45 years ago got fresh attention ahead of the May 9 election.
The highlights of the TV debate will be looked into along with a political commentator Jung-sik Seo.
