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Former prime minister Goh Kun on Tuesday announced he is dropping out of the presidential race. ¡°After painful thought, I have decided not to run for the 17th presidential election,¡± Goh said in a statement. Since the second half of 2005, the moderate had been considered a strong hopeful for the ruling camp, at one stage becoming the popular favorite with some 30 percent support in various polls. But in a poll early this year, that had dropped to about 10 percent, third behind ex-Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak and former Grand National Party chairwoman Park Geun-hye. His decision leaves the selection process for left-of-center candidates wide open. It remains to be seen where his support base in the Jeolla provinces will turn.
"From today, I will engage in no political activities related to the presidential election, but remain an ordinary citizen,¡± Goh said in the statement. ¡°I experienced the limit of real politics in the tall hurdles existing within political parties. I also humbly accept public opinion that my performance does not come up to expectations." He warned against ¡°repeating the mistake of putting up third candidates or establishing makeshift political parties that exist only for elections." Goh, who had hoped to set up a new force uniting moderates regardless of party affiliations, apparently made the decision because of his plummeting popularity ratings.
Goh had meant to hold a press conference at his office in Jongno, Seoul but was forced to cancel when supporters massed to urge him to reconsider.
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Former Prime Minister Goh Kun is locked on Tuesday in an elevator by supporters who oppose his decision to withdraw from the presidential election. The politician was on his way to a press conference to announce his intentions when his supporters tried to block him.
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Forces to the left of the GNP are now without any hopefuls who command more than 3 percent of support in the polls, the first time in history that a ruling party has only hopefuls with single-digit support 11 months before the elections. With Goh¡¯s pullout, plans to launch a new force made up of some Uri Party factions, the Millennium Democratic Party and others have gone up in smoke.
That has thrown the entire ruling camp into confusion.
Support for the Uri Party¡¯s most popular politicians, chairman Kim Geun-tae and former chairman Chung Dong-youn, was a poor 1 percent and 1.6 percent in a New Year Gallup poll. Goh¡¯s decision nips Uri efforts to hold an ¡°open primary¡± where Goh and others could take part in the bud. "We will need popular candidates for open primaries,¡± Uri lawmaker Min Byung-doo said. ¡°Former PM Goh was a key figure in preventing the GNP¡¯s presidential hopefuls from winning voters in the Jeolla provinces. In a situation where we are left without alternatives, his early withdrawal is a big minus for us."
Many in the Uri Party had hoped to form a new party for a fresh start after failing support for the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Thanks to his high popularity ratings, likely breakaway factions were eyeing Goh as the leader of the new party. With Goh gone, the Millennium Democratic Party is their last hope.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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