VOA常速英语2007年-Former Prime Minister Says He is South Korea's

A former South Korean prime minister says his strong conservative credentials¹ are what his country needs in a president. Lee Hoi-chang says he would take a harder line on North Korea and return the South to values he says helped build the nation. But as VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, the momentum² that got Lee into the race slowed when the election frontrunner was cleared of corruption³ allegations.

At 72, Lee Hoi-chang is the eldest⁴ of the three leading candidates in South Korea's presidential race, a possible advantage in this Confucian culture, where seniority is revered⁵. He also has served as a prime minister and Supreme⁶ Court justice.

However, those credentials are not likely to lead to victory in Wednesday's vote. Lee's approval rating hovers⁷ at about 10 percent of poll respondents, while the frontrunner, former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak, enjoys a 46 percent approval rating. The two men are not related.

Until recently, they belonged to the same conservative Grand National Party. However, Lee Hoi-chang announced his independent candidacy last month, when Lee Myung-bak was threatened by allegations of fraud and stock price manipulation.

Prosecutors⁸ cleared Lee Myung-bak of wrongdoing - but his rival still hopes to seize on popular skepticism about the frontrunner.

Television commercials for Lee Hoi-chang promise he will build a "clean and right" South Korea - an indirect reference to the allegations against his opponent.

Lee Hoi-chang portrays⁹ himself as the "real" conservative in this years's race.

Lee shouts out to a crowd: "who is the silver conservative in this race, and who is the gold?" The question is a comparison between himself and Lee Myung-bak.

The independent candidate also is especially critical of incumbent¹⁰ President Roh Moo-hyun's engagement policy with North Korea.

In his candidacy announcement, he derided¹¹ what he calls "unprincipled" politics by the Roh administration as the cause of North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities¹².

Pyongyang tested a nuclear weapon last year despite receiving billions of dollars in South Korean aid and investment aimed at preventing such a move. Lee says he would halt large South Korean investment projects in North Korea, saying they only transfer cash to the North's elite¹³.

Not surprisingly, North Korea's official media has lashed¹⁴ out, calling Lee "human scum" and other vivid names.

Lee Hoi-chang has experience running for the South Korean presidency¹⁵ - and losing. He has made two unsuccessful runs. Polls indicate he is fairly certain to add a third to that collection this week.