Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok issued an apology on Wednesday after facing harsh criticism for making a sexually offensive remark Tuesday during the third televised debate featuring four candidates. 

Talking to reporters in Seoul, Lee claimed he had sought to mildly express his thoughts and wasn’t certain how to go about it more mildly. He apologized to those who may have found the remarks “uncomfortable.”

At Tuesday's debate, Lee was addressing candidate Kwon Young-gook from the minor Democratic Labor Party and discussing women’s rights when he suddenly brought up an alleged comment from Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung’s son apparently posted on the internet under a photo of a female celebrity.

Quoting Lee Jae-myung’s son’s alleged remarks that graphically described a sexually violent act against a woman, Lee Jun-seok asked Kwon if a comment like that would be considered misogynistic. Kwon did not immediately reply. 

Also on Wednesday, Lee Jun-seok reiterated that he has no intent to respond to the People Power Party’s calls to back out of the race and support its candidate Kim Moon-soo. 

Appearing on a radio and TV program, Lee said he has never thought about fielding a single candidate with the People Power Party.