A cutting-edge cyber presidential campaign via cell phones and the Internet will be spreading fast through the public, since such activities have been allowed without any limit. Each presidential election camp is currently developing so called "Internet events" to gain supports from the younger generation between the ages of 20-30. The current election law prohibits the sending of spam e-mails or spreading banners or image messages; however the law allows any campaign through free email, chatting, and writing on message boards.

Although those kinds of activities might gain some attentions from youngsters who are quite indifferent on the politics, there are some concerns on its abuse for illegal campaigning.

In order to be free from any legal dispute, each political party is finding various methods. For example, the Grand National Party's official website provides e-mail cards and screen savers containing Lee Hoi-chang's picture which visitors can download by themselves from the website, because the current election law prohibits sending pictures or images via phones or the Internet.

Millennium Democratic Party also launched its alternative method on November 18. Once, visitors of the party's official website register their e-mail addresses on it, the party can send its political advertisement e-mails to them; this plan is called "Campaign: collecting one million e-mail users." To avoid any legal disputes on spam mail, the MDP will send its ad mails under the name of volunteer servicemen or party members.

There is ongoing debate on civic groups’ involvement in the current presidential race. One civic group will provide a "policy preference game" on its website: web-surfers will be able to select one preferred policy between Lee Hoi-chang and Roh Moo-hyun, and in the end, the webmaster will publish the results. However, the National Election Committee worried about this game’s possible abuse, since it might turn to supports of slander on a specific candidate. NEC announced its decision to inform National Police Agency as soon as it finds any illegal cyber campaign or activities.

(Youm Kang-su, ksyoum@chosun.com )