election Can Minor Candidates Become Major Leaguers?

By Kim Sue-young

Staff Reporter

With less than a month to go before the presidential election, the contenders are divided into two groups, major leaguers and minor competitors.

Lee Myung-bak of the Grand National Party (GNP) is leading the race with about 38-40 percent support. Chung Dong-young of the United New Democratic Party (UNDP) and independent Lee Hoi-chang are engaged in a neck-and-neck contest with 15-20 percent.

Minor candidates, however, have received little spotlight or are considered as a mere partner to leverage a major candidate's victory in the Dec. 19 election.

They suffer from stagnant single digit approval ratings in most opinion surveys.

According to the Chosun Ilbo, Moon Kook-hyun of the Creative Korea Party (CKP) has 6.6 percent support, followed by Kwon Young-ghil of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) and Rhee In-je of the Democratic Party (DP) with two percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.

People First Party nominee Shim Dae-pyung has a mere 0.3 percent.

The combined approval ratings of all the four minor leaguers is far behind frontrunner Lee's 38.7 percent.

Compared to those of Lee Hoi-chang and Chung Dong-young, the figures are seemingly insignificant.

Despite the handicap, the minor contenders are busy promoting their merits and campaign pledges to solicit public support.