The presidential candidates from the ruling and main opposition parties continued their campaigns Wednesday, saying little about a new presidential bid from the widely popular computer software mogul, Ahn Cheol-soo.
Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party met with victims of Typhoon Sanba, which tore through the Korean Peninsula this week, while Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party met with a group of college janitors.
Moon did, however, welcome the new contender into the race, saying he will "compete in good faith," according to his spokeswoman, Jin Sun-mee.
Moon, a human rights lawyer-turned-politician with close ties to late President Roh Moo-hyun, and the software entrepreneur-turned-professor Ahn are widely expected to unify their candidacies ahead of the Dec. 19 election as neither would be able to beat Park if they split the opposition vote.
"(I believe) Dean Ahn will contribute greatly to achieving change in political parties and creating the new politics the people wish for," Jin told reporters at the National Assembly, quoting Moon.
Earlier Wednesday, the 59-year-old candidate of the main opposition party met with a group of janitors hired as irregular workers at Seoul's Hongik University, and promised to improve the country's hiring system if elected.
Job creation is one of Moon's key campaign pledges.
"Employing janitors as irregular workers is a problem since (the college) isn't hiring them temporarily due to seasonal or other factors," he said.
Park, the conservative party's candidate, met with victims of this week's typhoon in Sacheon, 437 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and pledged to do her best to help them recover from the damage.
She declined to comment on Ahn's presidential bid, saying she did not want to make political comments during the visit. (Yonhap)