Bringing a last-minute change to the election dynamics, Lee Jung-hee of the minor Unified Progressive Party quit the race Sunday, vowing to help the opposition forces win Wednesday’s presidential election.

Meanwhile, the opposition Democratic United Party was dealt a blow after police announced that their initial probe found no evidence to back its claim that a National Intelligence Service official engaged in a smear campaign against its candidate. 

“I withdraw my presidential candidacy in order to gather together progressive, pro-democracy and reform forces in order to realize the people’s desire for an administration change,” Lee said at a press conference at the National Assembly, flanked by her party members.

“An administration of the Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye, who is the descendent of a pro-Japan collaborator and the root of the outdated and corrupt Yushin dictatorship, will be a disaster for the people and an irrecoverable regression of history,” Lee said, referring to Park’s late father, former President Park Chung-hee.

It had been widely speculated that Lee, with an approval rating of less than 1 percent, would forfeit before the election, with Lee having repeatedly stated that her goal in running the race was solely to make Park lose.

It remains to be seen whether Democratic United Party candidate Moon Jae-in will openly join hands with Lee after their earlier alliance had resulted in the DUP’s defeat in the April general elections as the Saenuri Party heaped attacks on the UPP for being pro-North.

In a new twist to the escalated negative campaigns between the major candidates, police said late Monday they have found no trace of the National Intelligence Service employee having left rumors against Moon online, as alleged by the DUP.

Last week, the DUP and police raided the house of the NIS official, claiming that she had been posting slanderous comments about Moon under direct orders from the intelligence agency.

Police have investigated the personal desktop computer and a laptop owned by the employee but said they found no evidence of relevant Internet postings or comments in her logs, including the deleted ones.

The Saenuri Party has lambasted the DUP for putting the “innocent citizen” on house arrest.

“This shows how (the DUP) not only failed to bring any evidence but also attempted to sabotage the campaign,” said Park’s spokesman Lee Sang-il.

“The DUP and Moon should clarify whether or not they respect the result of this investigation and apologize to the Saenuri Party and the NIS employee who suffered from human rights abuses, for having pulled dirty tricks to bring the intelligence organization into the election,” he added.

The DUP immediately questioned the legitimacy of the investigation.

“It appears that the police have shown their clear intention to mislead the people and their judgment by making the surprise initial investigation result announcement in the middle of the night,” said DUP co-spokesman Park Gwang-on.

“While we shall have to wait for the overall result of the investigation, it is extremely regretful that the investigation appears to be highly suspicious and political,” he added.

Throughout the weekend, the headquarters of both campaigns were busy and boisterous with a slew of press briefings held to counter or defend allegations of illicit campaigning.

The Saenuri Party on Sunday filed a defamation charge against the Seoul branch of the NEC, which has decided to indict an SNS campaigning official identified by his surname Yoon on charges of illegal campaigning.

The party claimed that the commission branch falsely depicted the people involved as having engaged in the manipulation of comments on social networking services, and stressed that the party had no connection with Yoon’s activities.

The Saenuri Party also accused the DUP of running an illegal SNS campaigning team of some 70 members out of unregistered second headquarters in Yeouido. It also claimed that a DUP official distributed false information online using a forged Youido Institute survey showing Moon leading Park in polls.

The DUP, in retaliation, slammed the Saenuri Party for denying its involvement with Yoon and vowed to take legal action against the Saenuri Party’s claim that it was operating an illegal second campaign office.

Hoping to seize a breakthrough in the remaining days of their campaign, DUP Rep. Rhee Mok-hee in charge of Moon’s campaign planning said Lee’s decision showed the change of government was the biggest task of the times.

But he drew the line at her decision being relevant to the DUP.

“Lee has not made any promise or consensus with the DUP,” he said.

The DUP nonetheless welcomed her withdrawal.

“We believe that Lee’s resignation is a decision upon heavy acceptance of the people’s yearning for a change of government. Moon and the DUP will certainly realize the administration change and open the new era of new politics where people come first,” Park Gwang-on said.

The Saenuri Party, for their part, denounced her move as an opposition ploy against Park.

“(Her resignation) has proven that it was all a calculated political conspiracy by the opposition to have Park fall amid false propaganda,” said Kim Moo-sung, chief of the general elections headquarters.

“We trust that the people will judge the attempt by (the DUP) to join hands with the UPP, which is a pro-North hotbed, once again after their alliance in the general elections, as they face drawbacks in the race,” he added.

With Lee bowing out of the race, the final televised debate late Sunday evening between the presidential candidates was conducted between Park and Moon.

Lee earned a minor 0.9 percent of support according to polls conducted by Herald Corp. and Realmeter as of last Wednesday. The gap between Park and Moon had been as close as 0.1 percentage point to as high as 3.7 percentage points according to the last batch of legitimate surveys to be released before the election day. Lee’s support ratings, albeit small, could thus play a role in defining the final winner, political pundits have suggested.

Lee’s resignation came as the two other frontrunners’ have been resorting to rough-and-tumble politics with counter-allegations of illegal campaigning as the candidates run a knife-edge race.

With no more polls to go by, each team is claiming to have the upper hand, with Park’s side assuring it as“secured the win,” while Moon’s side contends “the drama of a grand turnaround has begun.”

“It is believed that the upturn trend of DUP candidate Moon has dwindled,” said Kim Gwang-rim, president of the Youido Institute, the ruling party’s think tank, at a press conference Sunday.

“Based on our own survey conducted after the (survey deadline after which releases are banned), the gap (between Park and Moon) has further widened,” he said, without disclosing the numbers.

The DUP, on the other hand, expressed confidence that the tide has turned.

“The grand turnaround (of the race) by the people was confirmed at yesterday’s Gwanghwamun rally (for Moon),” said Lee In-young, co-chairman of Moon’s election committee, at a morning meeting Sunday.

“The people will come to vote, create a new power and set forth the future direction of our society with the new power,” he said.

The remaining variables are the people’s reaction to the third and final television debate among the two remaining presidential candidates on social issues, the voter turnout, and the direction of the swing votes amid heightened security awareness upon North Korea’s Dec. 12 rocket launch, political observers said.

Amid the battle between their campaign managers, the two candidates each contended they were dedicated to negativity-free campaigns.

“It is hoped that we no longer engage in things that will divide the people, and think about what to do for our country after the election,” Park said during her rally on Saturday, as she proposed a gathering of ruling and opposition leaders before the launch of the new government to discuss state affairs.

Moon also vowed a clean campaign during his rally the same day, stating, “Former candidate Ahn Cheol-soo and I will fight fair and square until the end of the election no matter how the Saenuri Party plays illegal false propaganda and slanders me.”

Moon was unexpectedly joined by his ally Ahn while campaigning in Gwanghwamun.

Earlier in the day, Ahn criticized the smear campaigning, tweeting, “I could not sleep the whole night. If the process gets this muddy, half (of the voters) will turn their backs even if one wins.”

By Lee Joo-hee
(jhl@heraldcorp.com)