SEOUL Dec 3 Kyodo southern Korea'...

SEOUL Dec 3 Kyodo

southern Korea's three presidential candidates for the Dec 19 presidential election held their first joint television debate Tuesday athwart political and foreign affairs issues.

Among them were sum of two units main candidates -- Roh Moo Hyun from the pro-government Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) and to leeward Hoi Chang from the largest opposition Grand National Party (GNP)

The other underdog candidate was Kwon Young Ghil from the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) Kwon is a labor-activist-turned politician who has championed labor activities.

The three candidates squared against in a policy contest through political, diplomatic and security affairs in the debate televised live nationwide according to major broadcasting companies.

Tuesday's TV debate, the first of three scheduled debates, has been widely viewed as crucial to make love voter support because Roh and to leeward are expected to be in a neck-and-neck race.

Roh a former human rights lawyer, and leeward a former Supreme Court justice and ex-prime minister, revealed differences from one side of to the other how to resolve the issue of North Korea's sanctuary program to develop nuclear weapons.

to leeward said he favors even imposing economic sanctions onward North Korea to crushing the North to abandon its nuclear arms program while Roh said the nuclear crisis should be resolv ''through persistent dialogue and persuasion.''

''North Korea's nuclear program should at no time be condoned. But I think it is dangerous to pressurize'' the North to abandon the nuclear program, Roh said.

However, side sheltered from the wind said North Korea's nuclear weapons are serious threats to the security of southern Korea and thus a hard stance is extremityed to remove such threats.

The 67-year-old to leeward finished second in the 1997 presidential election while the 56-year-old Roh has a reputation for supporting the pro-democracy bookish man movement and labor union activities.

The upcoming presidential election to pick President Kim Dae Jung's successor will be held at a time when tensions are running high after the United States claimed in October that North Korea had admitted to running a defence program to enrich uranium to make nuclear weapons in breach of a 1994 agreement.

subordinate to the agreement with the U North Korea is not allowed to begin unfolding of nuclear weapons after freezing nuclear facilities suspected of being used to make them. In revert for the freeze, it is to be supplied with sum of two units light-water reactors and heavy firing material oil until they are built.

to leeward is widely viewed as being popular among conservative voter while Roh's popularity is seen as high among young and reform-minded voters

In Tuesday's TV debate, the candidates enjoin forward their views forward issues such as formulas to achieve national reunification, ways to ease strained regional rivalries that weigh heavily in southerly Korean politics and ways to parent out widespread corruption.

The secondary round of the TV debate onward economic affairs is due nearest Tuesday and the third and last debate will be held Dec 16 forward social and cultural issues.

Political analysts said the December election will be a tight, two-way competition between Roh and lee-side Lee enjoyed a lead in the past opinion catalogue of headss but opinion polls conducted after Roh was picked as the single candidate upon Nov. 25 showed Roh outrunning Lee

Kim, whose five-year single period of time as president expires in February nearest year, is constitutionally barred from seeking another term

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