SKOREA: 100 candidates runnning in preliminary presidential race.
Updated
South Korea's presidential election campaign doesn't get underway officially for another two weeks. But that hasn't stopped the more than 100 candidates from wheeling and dealing ahead of the front-runners from each party being announced.
Presenter: Karon Snowdon
Speakers: Leading commentator South Korean Politics Professor Sung-Deok Hahm
SNOWDON: South Koreans will vote for a new president on December the 19th, and its emerging as a three horse race.
For now the clear leader is Lee Myung-bak from the Opposition Grand National Party with about 40 per cent of the public behind him.
But the next few weeks could be uncomfortable for the former mayor of Seoul.
After years of trying, prosecutors have succeeded in the extradition from the United States of a former business associate of Mr Lee's, the man returns next week to face charges in a 20 million dollar fraud case.
Lee Myung Bak claims he is innocent of any wrong-doing, but the public will be waiting for any revelations from the case.
That's according to leading commentator Politics Professor Sung-Deok Hahm who has been an advisor to four Presidents, including the current one Roh Moo Hyun.
SUNG DEOK HAHM: So everybody now is very much concerned about that issue, because if the case is true then its really hot and it will make a difference in presidential election.
SNOWDON: The ruling United New Democratic Party and its coalition partners have been running on an anti-corruption ticket.
But the UNDP's candidate Chung Dong-young is placed a dismal third in the polls, with around 16 per cent support.
In an effort to improve his chances, Chung is trying to unite what he calls the anti-corruption and liberal forces.
On Monday he proposed a merger with the much smaller Democratic Party in a bid to field a single candidate.
It would in effect be a reunification of an earlier grouping, which succeeded in getting President Roh Moo-hyun into power in 2002 but which then split up.
But the proposal faces strong rank and file opposition - within the UNDP itself and between the two parties, and looks like failing already.
SUNG DEOK HAHM: Members of a ruling coalition they are more concerned about their chance and opportunity in congressional elections in next year let alone presidential election this year.
SNOWDON: If the parties can't agree on putting up a single candidate does the coalition stand any chance of having any candidate win in the December 19 presidential race.
SUNG DEOK HAHM: Oh who knows, because this year we have only 36 days for the presidential election day and 5 years ago the current incoming president Moo-hyon at the time his popularity only was 19%, but after 36 days he won the presidential election through the unified single candidate, so anything can happen in Korea.
SNOWDON: That any thing can happen in Korean politics means there's also a chance for the current second placed candidate - the former opposition Grand National Party leader Lee Hoi-chang who's running as an independent, and attracting 20 per cent public support.
He had promised to retire after failing in three previous attempts at the Presidency but he's now succeeding in splitting the conservative vote.
And in more bad news certain to further alienate Korean voters, another scandal has emerged this week involving allegations of bribes paid to public officials by a major corporation. Professor Sung-deuk Hahm believes anti corruption campaigners will benefit.
SUNG DEOK HAHM: It is very difficult at this moment it is very difficult for anyone to revere everything about the Samsung [inaud 3:33] fund issues at this moment but it will come out later.
SNOWDON: The picture should be clearer after November the 26th. That's the cut-off date for formal registrations - when the current 110 presidential candidates will be cut down to a more manageable number. And the real presidential election campaign begins.
