|
With exactly one year left to go before the presidential elections next year on Tuesday, promising presidential hopefuls must not only compete against each other but also battle a slew of election-related superstitions. It remains to be seen whether the superstitions that influenced previous presidential elections will remain as powerful next year.
¡ß You can win only when you win North Chungcheong Province
No candidate who failed to win in North Chungcheong Province has been elected president since 1967. Kim Jong-pil, who was considered the leading power in Chungcheong Province, was defeated there and in the whole country by his rival Roh Tae-woo in 1987. Experts often say the province has played a key role in determining who will win, or as a rudder steering candidates to victory.
¡ß You can¡¯t win when you come top in opinion polls
The superstition that the no.1 in opinion polls a year before the presidential elections cannot win is due to Park Chan-jong and Lee Hoi-chang, who respectively came top in New Year's polls in 1997 and 2002 and lost. The exception was Kim Young-sam, who led with 26 percent, ahead of Kim Dae-jung¡¯s 18.6 percent and Chung Ju-young¡¯s 8.5 percent in the Gallup poll in January 1992 and won the election too.
¡ß You win when you join hands with your rivals
Kim Young-sam won the elections by joining hands with candidates from two other competing parties in 1992, Kim Dae-jung did so with Kim Jong-pil in 1997 and Roh Moo-hyun with his competitor Chung Mong-joon in 2002. In short, the last three elections were won by men who joined hands with rivals.
¡ß You can win only when you win over the 40-somethings
Those in their 40s are different from people in their 20s and 30s in that they are not easily swayed by changes in public opinion and are very willing to cast their ballot. Pundits point out, however, that they become more stability-oriented as they turn 40, though they were more reform-minded before.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
