Opposition parties on Monday announced dozens of unified candidates for key districts in next month's parliamentary elections after a two-day joint survey on which hopefuls are favored among voters.
The main opposition Democratic United Party and the minor opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) agreed earlier this month to field unified candidates in key marginal constituencies in order to avoid dividing their votes in the April 11 general elections.
They conducted a voter survey on hopefuls from the two parties on Saturday and Sunday, and announced 69 winners Monday, including UPP leader Lee Jung-hee and the main opposition's In Jae-keun, the wife of renowned late democracy activist-turned-politician Kim Geun-tae.
The main opposition won in 57 districts, including Rep. Chung Sye-kyun in Seoul's Jongno district and Rep. Chung Dong-young in Seoul's Gangnam district.
Well-known winners from the minor opposition party included Cheon Ho-sun, who served as presidential spokesman during the administration of late President Roh Moo-hyun, and former lawmakers Shim Sang-jung and Roh Hoe-chan.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan of the main opposition party said later Monday that he will run in the district of the central administrative city of Sejong. Lee served in the No. 2 post under late President Roh Moo-hyun.
The establishment of Sejong City was initiated under the Roh administration after its ambitious project to move South Korea's capital to the central region fell through. Lee said he decided to seek election to complete his mission to perfect the administrative city.
The minor conservative Liberty Forward Party said it decided against nominating Park Geun-ryeong, the sister of Rep. Park Geun-hye, leader of the ruling Saenuri Party. Park Geun-ryeong had announced plans to run in the district covering the central towns of Boeun, Okcheon and Yeongdong.
The party said her nomination could be politically capitalized on, but did not elaborate.
The Parks are daughters of former President Park Chung-hee, who rose to power through a military coup in 1961 and ruled South Korea until he was assassinated by his spy chief in 1979. Okcheon is the hometown of the late president's wife and former first lady Yook Young-su. (Yonhap)