Korean presidential campaigns begin

Press, 20 November 1987, Page 10

Korean presidential campaigns begin

NZPA-Reuter Seoul

South Korea’s presidential hopefuls began official month-long election campaigns yesterday as a Government Minister warned against provincialism and violence by radicals.

Newspapers reported that before the country’s 25.6 million voters cast their votes on December

16, the four main candidates for President would hold a combined total of 500 rallies. I

About 50,000 chanting supporters in the eastern city of Chunchon braved heavy rain to cheer the Government candidate, Roh Tae Woo, as he pledged to lead the way towards a return to democracy.

“Chaos will follow if an Opposition party is entrusted with the management of the State,” Mr Roh said. "Only I can guarantee peace, prosperity and a new history.” An Opposition candidate, Kim Young Sam, held rallies on Wednesday in three towns close to the demilitarised zone between the South and the communist North. He accused Mr Roh of putting national security at risk when, as a major-

general, he pulled troops out of the front line facing the North to help a fellow general, Chun Doo Hwan, to seize power in December 1979.

Meanwhile, a rival Opposition leader, Kim Dae Jung, called for South and North Korea’s simultaneous entry to the United Nations to help promote the unification of the peninsula.

Speaking before tens of thousands of cheering supporters in the western port city of Kunsan, he also pledged to maintain close relations with Washington and other traditional allies while following a more independent diplomatic policy.

A fourth candidate, a former Prime Minister, Kim Jong Pil, toured Koyang south of Seoul and drew thousands of supporters.

No violence was reported during Wednesday’s rallies, but riot police fired tear gas to disperse more than 1500 students demonstrating against Mr Roh on a Seoul campus.

About 500 riot police and plain-clothes police stormed Konkuk University where the protesters held a rally calling for Mr Roh to withdraw from the

country’s first free, direct Presidential contest in 16 years.

The students burned effigies of President Chun and Mr Roh and hurled stones, petrol bombs and other missiles at the police.

The Information Minister, Lee Woong Hee, told journalists on Wednesday that provincialism and violence by radicals were “enemies of democratisation that not only undermine the election atmosphere but also jeopardise the social order." Mr Lee said “it is feared that divisive provincialism could harm the nation’s social stability even after the December 16 election.”

Mr Lee was speaking after violence marred rallies held by Kim Dae Jung and Kim Young Sam in each other’s provincial power bases last weekend.

Kim Young Sam was forced to cancel a rally in Kwangju on Saturday after thousands of protesters claiming to be supporters of Kim Dae Jung hurled rocks and stones.

On Sunday, Kim Dae Jung was pelted with stones at a rally in Taegu by people claiming to support his Opposition rival.