Final Presidential Candidate Field Almost Set

Park Geun-hye on Monday criticized Lee Hoi-chang for announcing his presidential candidacy and announced her support for Lee Myung-bak yesterday. The United New Democratic Party (UNDP) and Democratic Party (DP) joined forces to create a “United Democratic Party (UDP) and agreed to select a single presidential candidate between Chung Dong-young and Lee In-je.

This nearly finalizes the presidential candidate field, with Lee Myung-bak (GNP) who is supported by former GNP Chairman Park Geun-hye, Chung Dong-young and Lee In-je (UDP), Lee Hoi-chang with no party affiliation, Mun Guk-hyeon (CKP), and Kwon Yeong-gil (DLP) all running for president.

The former GNP chairman said in a press conference at her house in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, “It is not right that Lee Hoi-chang is running for president. I am a member of the GNP and nothing will change that fact that Lee Myung-bak is the GNP’s presidential candidate.

She added, “As a party member, I will engage in the presidential campaign.” Her remarks have put the GNP in order and Park is expected to support the former Seoul mayor in earnest after he registers his presidential candidacy around November 25.

At an election campaign launching ceremony held on the same day at Park Jung-hee Gym in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, GNP candidate Lee Myung-bak said in response, “I am going to work in partnership with Park to take over the current administration and create a new Korea.” Lee added at a press conference held in Daejeon, “Given certain circumstances, I fully understand what she had to say.”

Meanwhile, UNDP candidate Chung Dong-young, UNDP Chairman Oh Chung-il, DP candidate Lee In-je, and DP Chairman Park Sang-cheon met at a restaurant in the National Assembly, and announced a “joint statement for integration and candidate unification” Monday.

These two parties will hold discussion and TV debates through November 20 before they select a candidate and a chief campaign manager through public opinion polls due to be held on November 23-24. When these two parties are combined, the United New Democratic Party, which was founded three months ago by the Uri Party, civil organization members, and some lawmakers of the Democratic Party, will no longer exist.

Since September 2003, when the DP split into two to create two different parties, members of the Uri Party and Democratic Party will merge back.

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