2 candidates condemn NK but slightly differently

The camps of the two main presidential candidates slammed North Korea, Wednesday, for the launch of a long-range Unha-3 rocket that allegedly put a satellite into orbit.

Experts say that it’s hard to know which of the two will benefit more from the launch, although it was agreed no major impact is expected.

The campaigners for ruling Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye said the North had violated United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions 1718 and 1874, and called on the government to team up with the international community to impose fresh sanctions on the Stalinist state.

Officials for the Democratic United Party’s (DUP) contender Moon Jae-in also criticized the launch, which South Korea and other governments interpreted as an attempt to test ballistic missile technology.

They also blamed the government for inaccurate information, questioning Seoul’s intelligence capabilities. The government said a day earlier that it saw few possibilities for the North launching the rocket anytime soon because of technical flaws.

Recent polls have found the two candidates locked in a tight race, making it difficult to predict a winner.

Neither has attempted to play the North Korea card as they fear that trying to take advantage of the North’s provocative action could backfire on them.

Kim Haing, vice chairwoman of the online news provider Wikitree, speculated that the rocket launch would have no significant impact on the presidential election.

“The North Korea card turned out to be effective in consolidating conservative voters in the 1990s. But no such effect has ever been found in elections since then,” Kim said.

Bae Jong-chan, managing director of the polling agency Research and Research, also remained skeptical that the last-minute North Korea factor may rattle the presidential race.

“Speaking frankly, I don’t see the possibility that the North’s missile factor would have any impact on the presidential election. Few voters would be affected by it,” he told The Korea Times. “The campaign landscape features a conservative-liberal voter divide. Voters on any side are unlikely to change their mind because of the North Korea card.”

Voters approached by The Korea Times said they didn’t feel threatened by the launch.

Choi Young-il, 43, who lives in the greater Seoul area, said he had no intention to change candidate because of North Korea. “I don’t know how undecided voters would feel about the rocket launch. But to me, it didn’t sound like a threat because I understand the rocket didn’t target South Korea or our territories,” he said.

Yim Mi-seon, another 40-something voter, also said the North Korea factor would have a negligible impact on the presidential election, if any, because this is not the first time this has happened.

“North Korea did that quite often in the past. We are kind of accustomed to the North’s behavior.” <The Korea Times/Kang Hyun-kyung>