ⓒYONHAP News

Ruling Democratic Party(DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung has said his administration will resume construction of nuclear power plants temporarily on hold and operate plants for the duration of their full viable terms but not build new ones.

Lee made the vow on Wednesday at the DP’s headquarters in Seoul as he explained the policies he’ll pursue in the science and technology sector.

Lee appeared to distance himself from the incumbent government’s policy on scrapping plans to build new nuclear power plants and not extend the lifespan of existing plants, saying that he envisioned "reducing" nuclear power rather than "abandoning" it altogether.

He also vowed to introduce a system in which the science minister will also serve as deputy prime minister and to complete devising a moon-landing project by 2030. 

Meanwhile, main opposition People Power Party(PPP) presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol met with students at Jeonbuk National University in North Jeolla Province. 

When asked whether he could work with someone who infringes upon freedom, the candidate said he believes a person in dire poverty and without much education does not know what freedom is nor the need for it.

He then added that a certain level of education and basic economic capacity are what constitute freedom and allow people to know what freedom is. 

Yoon apparently made the remarks to emphasize the importance of the state providing the foundation for education and the economy but some criticized his comments as disparaging those who are poor and uneducated.