North Korea on Wednesday attempted to influence elections in South Korea, urging voters to judge the “pro-U.S. and dictatorial” administration of President Lee Myung-bak and the Grand National Party.
“The time calls for the people of South Korea to hand down a judgment on candidates of the GNP, who have tried to conjure up ghosts from the Yushin dictatorial regime,” the communist country said in a posting on its official website “Uriminjokkiri.”
“Oct. 26 is the day when the military dictator was gunned down by his own man,” the site said, referring to the assassination of Park Chung-hee, a military strongman who ruled South Korea for 18 years.
On Oct. 26, 1979, Park was shot to death by his intelligence chief Kim Jae-kyu, who claimed that the then-president was an obstacle to democracy.
North Korea, in two other statements also posted on the website, denounced President Lee as a pro-U.S. dictator and the GNP as followers of the late Park, criticizing the active participation by Park Geun-hye in election campaigns.
Park Geun-hye, the eldest daughter of the former president, leads a major faction within the GNP and is regarded as the party’s best shot at the presidency. She has lent her full support to Na Kyung-won, the party’s candidate for Seoul mayor in the Oct. 26 by-elections.
Pyongyang’s state media also released 10 related articles about the by-elections in the South, pouncing on the incumbent administration and the ruling conservative party.
The communist state, however, did not mention President Lee by name.
By Lee Sun-young (
milaya@heraldcorp.com)
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