South Korea: South Korean parties made a final appeal to voters yesterday before a parliamentary election high on emotion over the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun but low on policy debate.
The electoral watchdog is projecting a high turnout in today's elections for the 299-seat National Assembly in which Mr Roh's impeachment has overshadowed issues such as North Korea's nuclear threat, South Korean troops in Iraq or youth unemployment.
The National Election Commission said a recent survey indicated that 88.7 per cent of voters "intended" to vote. Of them, 77.2 per cent said they would "definitely" cast ballots.
Turnout, especially among youth who have historically stayed away from polls, is especially critical for the pro-Roh Uri Party, whose election strategy has been to capitalise on anger at Mr Roh's impeachment by the opposition-controlled parliament.
The opposition impeached Mr Roh on March 12th for a minor election law violation, incompetence and alleged involvement in corruption scandals. Mr Roh, whose approval ratings were low, gained sympathy from a public who thought the opposition had overplayed its hand.
Mr Roh has been sidelined and his fate is in the hands of the Constitutional Court. - (Reuters)