By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
Dismissing speculation about possible discord in the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) after the primary race, runner-up Rep. Park Geun-hye accepted her defeat as fair.
Park, the eldest daughter of the late President Park Chung-hee, pledged she will help Lee win December's presidential election.
``I, Park Geun-hye, admit defeat,'' Park, a former chairwoman of the conservative party, said in a speech after the nomination convention at a gymnasium in southern Seoul. ``I'll battle (to win the presidential election) as an ordinary party member from now on.''
She asked her supporters to forget the fierce competition they had with Lee's camp during the primary race and devote their energy into seeing the GNP take power after its 10 years in opposition.
Park and Lee had been waging a make-or-break race as the two frontrunners both enjoyed strong public support, edging out the governing camp's presidential hopefuls by big margins in opinion polls.
But the race heated up with the two camps frequently accusing each other of wrongdoing, raising allegations about corruption and real estate speculation.
Political experts said the primary's results showed both Park's strong clout within the party and her weak point as a female candidate.
Park trailed Lee but fell short of upsetting the contest though allegations of Lee's financial and real estate transactions worked in her favor in the latter half of the race.
Han Gwi-young, a researcher of the Korea Society Opinion Institute, said Lee was more successful in promoting his image as a leader able to revive the economy.
``Lee succeeded in pushing a presidential image with his campaign pledges regarding the economy. I believe that's the main reason that Park lost to Lee,'' Han said.