Free Republic

4:00 AM EASTERN/1:00 AM PACIFIC (WEDNESDAY)The polls have closed in South Korea.The country has just voted for the next President of the Republic. It will be a five-year term. This follows the current, unpopular leftist regime of Roh Mu Hyon.Results are now coming in.The 2007 South Korean Presidential race, at the top of the field, pits three unique candidates against each other.--One an appeaser of the current political regime/party (corrupt overtures and carrots to North Korea); --one a "RINO" in a South Korean sense, running on the conservative party opposition ticket but with conciliatory and appeasing policies as well...

SKorean challenger launches presidential campaign Thu Nov 8, 2:24 AM ET A rightwing former opposition leader Thursday launched his campaign for South Korea's presidency as the main opposition party bitterly denounced him as a traitor. Lee Hoi-Chang, a harsh critic of North Korea, on Wednesday announced his third presidential bid -- throwing the race into confusion by splitting the conservative vote just six weeks before polling day. Lee, a former supreme court judge and graduate of the top high school and university, visited homes of teenagers living alone and disabled elderly people. Aides said the 72-year-old is trying to soften...

Ex-GNP Chief to Come Out of Retirement On Lee Hoi-chang's Reappearance The former Grand National Party chairman Lee Hoi-chang is to come out of retirement early next year to form an “anti-left” coalition of conservative forces, an aide said Thursday. Lee’s former public relations secretary Lee Jong-koo told the Chosun Ilbo his former boss has “virtually returned to the political arena” with lectures criticizing the incumbent government. He said the one-time presidential candidate would make “big, conspicuous political strides” next year, “although some might call it an attempt to form a new political faction.” In a series of lectures, the...

Voting Starts in 16th Presidential Election by Choi Joon-seo (jschoi@chosun.com) The 16th presidential election will be take place on Thursday December 19 at 13,471 polling places nationwide from 6:00am until 6:00pm. Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang held a press conference on the eve of the Election Day and said if the people look at the totally failed statecraft and unjustifiable corruption of the last 5 years, they should make a clear judgment on a Millennium Democratic Party administration that has already failed. Lee added that Thursday would be the day of choice between stability and instability, saying the...