Clean Bill of Health
Lee Myung-bak Gets Boost From Investigation Results
The prosecution Wednesday said presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak had not been involved in the so-called BBK stock manipulation scandal. This has given a significant boost to Lee's campaign with only 13 days ahead for the presidential election. Lee's bandwagon effect is likely to gain further impetus as he has already been leading the presidential race. The BBK case has been haunting the former Seoul mayor despite his comfortable lead in the race, which finds him with a more than 40 percent support rate.
The presidential race has become a trilateral competition between Lee, Chung Dong-young of the United New Democratic Party (UNDP), and conservative independent Lee Hoi-chang. Lee Myung-bak is way ahead of his two rivals who have been lagging 15 to 20 percent behind in public support. The former Hyundai Engineering and Construction CEO once enjoyed support of some 50 percent before Kim Kyung-joon, his former business partner, returned home to be questioned over the financial fraud case.
In addition to the scandal, Lee has been the target of offensives from other candidates over helping get his offspring jobs unfairly and tax evasion. But he has continued to enjoy high popularity and managed to lead the race by emphasizing his capability to prop up the national economy. Voters have rendered unswerving support for Lee out of the wish for a change in government. They have largely been sick of the current government with its ``amateurish'' and ``incompetent'' style of state administration.
The GNP is now highly elated with full expectations for victory in the presidential poll. It is now turning its offensive toward Lee Hoi-chang, who has been calling on Lee Myung-bak to drop out of the race and take responsibility for the financial scandal. The former GNP leader has been nibbling at Lee Myung-bak's support rate as the two share common turf among conservatives.
Despite the growing rosy prospect, it is premature for Lee Myung-bak to be sure of victory given various factors. There is possibility that the bandwagon impact will bring about a negative response from the liberal camp, accelerating its efforts to field a single candidate against Lee. Chung Dong-young, and Moon Kook-hyun of the Creative Korea Party, have already declared a willingness to produce a single candidate.
Chung threatened he would mobilize all possible means to protest the prosecution's announcement including a boycott of planned stumping rallies. The UNDP also plans to hold a massive rally in central Seoul. Chung's election committee Chairman Lee Hae-chan even said the nation appears to be returning to the autocratic era of the past. We urge Chung and the other candidates to refrain from adopting excessive means in defiance of the prosecution probe. Any extreme struggle beyond common sense and legal boundaries will only deepen the people's distrust of politics and further tarnish their image.