Mudslinging between Lee and Park Continues Ahead of Joint Rally

Former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak, who visited his hometown, Pohang, North Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday, arrived in Daegu – the next leg of his campaign trail – on Wednesday in the late afternoon. “We’ll get into a big trouble if one of us drags down his or her fellow members out of jealousy, thinking ‘I am not getting it so you shouldn’t get it either,’” Lee told members of the Grand National Party’s Daegu chapter.

“Frankly speaking, the administration will be changed only if I run in the presidential election. The Roh Moo-hyun government has attempted to prevent the favored candidate of Daegu citizens from winning the GNP primary by all means,” Lee added, at a meeting with the party members of Suseonggap, Daegu. He also met with merchants at traditional markets, including the Chilseong Market, to build rapport with his voters. “I was once also a merchant at the Jukdo Market in Pohang,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye participated, on Wednesday, in the national rally of the Korean Disabled Veteran`s Association for Agent Orange victims, held in Changwon Gymnasium in Changwon, South Gyeonggi Province. She tried to appeal to conservative voters with her unique emotional tone.

“I will be your comrade to share your pains and tears. I will make Korea into a place that is proud of its heroes who sacrificed their lives for their country,” Park said at the convention. After the event, she told reporters, “After policy discussions, my support ratings began to surge.”

Later that day, Park went to Busan to participate in a child care policy discussion organized by Rep. Eom Ho-seong of the GNP. She made campaign pledges on measures to overcome childcare problems that discourage women from engaging in economic activities.

Meanwhile, both camps of the GNP primary candidates fought fiercely over alleged suspicions raised by candidates to create a favorable atmosphere ahead of the joint speech session in Busan.

Meanwhile, Park Hyeong-jun, spokesperson of Lee’s camp, said, “Jeong, a son-in-law of reverend Choi Tae-min, is the real force behind the Nonhyeondong Team – a private organization linked to Park. Moreover, some reported that L and J, former aides of Park, were also relatives of Choi.” Lee’s camp also revealed the family tree of reverend Choi to the public.

“Some even say that if Park becomes the president, family members of Choi Tae-min will rule the country,” Rep. Jin Soo-hee of the GNP said in an editorial.

“Lee’s family members speculated, concealed and illegally transferred 0.86 million pyeong of land in the country. This is the most important evidence supporting the argument that Lee has no chance of winning the presidential election,” said Hong Sa-deok, the head of Park’s campaign committee.

With regard to the remark by Cho Seok-rai, president of the Federation of Korean Industries, “We need a president that puts the economy first,” Lee Hye-hoon, a spokesman for Park’s camp, said, “It will be difficult to blame him for siding with his relative (Lee), but the public will not be persuaded by his flattering remark calling a speculator the president for the economy.” Cho is a brother of Cho Yang-rai, CEO of Hankook Tire and the father-in-law of Lee.

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