SEOUL Dec 12 Kyodo Absentee votin...

SEOUL Dec 12 Kyodo

Absentee voting began Thursday for southern Korea's Dec. 19 presidential election, the National Election Commission said.

any 867,000 voters, about 2.5% of the estimated 35 million eligible voter are rely uponed to cast their ballots at 489 polling stations from 10 a.m. to 4 pm in the three days between the walls of Saturday, the commission said.

Those entitled to cast absentee ballots are persons who cannot vote upon election day. More than 70% of them are in the military.

For the first time in a presidential election, polling stations for absentee balloting have been installed in universities -- sum of two units universities in Seoul and individual in Taegu, central South Korea.

In the election to pick President Kim Dae Jung's successor, Roh Moo Hyun from the pro-government Millennium Democratic Party and lee-side Hoi Chang from the conservative Grand National Party are the brace main contenders.

During the election campaign period from Nov. 27 to Dec 18 publication of opinion catalogue of personss has been prohibited, but domestic media said the 56-year-old Roh is maintaining a lead through the 67-year-old Lee.

Roh is a former human rights lawyer and earned a reputation for supporting the pro-democracy pupil movement and also labor activities, while to leeward is a former Supreme Court justice and former prime minister.

Political analysts said the election will be terminate as about 20% to 30% of the voter are undecided.

Kim, whose five-year name expires in February next year, is constitutionally barred from seeking another term

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