Citizens vote during the midterm elections 07 November, 2006, at a polling station located in an car dealership in Glendale, California, 10 miles (16.6 km) north of Los Angeles,California. Republican control of Congress is in the balance today as voters cast their ballots across the nation. Democrats mining public discontent over President George W. Bush's war in Iraq battled to break the Republican stranglehold in Congress Tuesday, as millions of Americans went to the polls. Democratic leaders predicted they would recapture the House of Representatives for the first time since 1994, but needed to pull off a less likely clean sweep of battleground seats to seize the Senate. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK



Park Geun Hye has consistently attacked Lee Myung Bak

Park Geun Hye has consistently attacked her political rival, the former Seoul City Mayor Lee Myung Bak. What is the background for it? Some analysts explain the reason.

Park recognizes that if she does not block Lee’s recent high popularity, she may lag behind him in the presidential election. It is reported that support groups of Park have currently advised her to speak up at public meetings and criticize Lee’s election pledges.

Park strongly criticized Lee’s pledge to build a canal between Seoul and Busan during an interview with the internet media and a lecture meeting at Dankook University in Cheonan City. She said, “Constructing a canal between the two major cities is not an economic policy, but a blueprint for national land development.” She stressed, “Since I was a leader of the GNP, I already suggested developing tourism zones along the west coast and special districts for science in inland areas.”

Regarding the necessity of ‘science city construction’ claimed by Lee Myung Bak during his visit to European countries, she stated, “What he proposed is already done. Daejeon has already become a science city as a concept for a special district and Gwangju has the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology.”

She was very sensitive about her approval rating, saying, “I read a survey finding that many supporters for the ruling Uri Party also uphold Lee Myung Bak.” A GNP statesman predicted, “When the Uri Party’s candidate for presidential election appears, the popularity and approval rating for former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung Bak will fall out of the bed.”
/ 입력시간: 2006. 11.09. 09:41