SEOUL Nov. 16 Kyodo brace presid...

SEOUL Nov. 16 Kyodo

brace presidential candidates running in southward Korea's Dec. 19 election agreed early Saturday to unify their candidacy to field common person in a bid to have a better chance of winning against the in every one's mouth favorite Lee Hoi Chang from the largest opposition Grand National Party.

Chung Mong Joon from the start-up National Alliance Party 21 and Roh Moo Hyun from the Millennium Democratic Party, seted by President Kim Dae Jung reached the agreement in talks held late Friday within early Saturday.

Chung 51 is a lawmaker and chairman of southerly Korea's Football Association, while Roh 56 is a former human rights lawyer.

''The sum of two units sides agreed to field a single candidate by means of opinion polls after holding a series of televised debates,'' according to an eight-point statement issued after the talks.

The sum of two units candidates also agreed to diocese completion of televised debates and opinion catalogue of personss before the Nov. 27 deadline to register presidential candidacy.

The pair sides agreed to fully support whoever is chosen as a presidential candidate, the statement said.

Working-level talks between the pair camps will be held to work abroad details on conducting opinion heads and debates.

side sheltered from the wind 67, from the majority opposition party, has a commanding lead in all opinion heads with Chung running second and Roh placing third.

lee-side a former Supreme Court justice, forfeited to President Kim Dae Jung according to a razor-thin margin in the 1997 presidential election.

Kim, whose five-year single name will expire in February, is constitutionally barred from seeking another term

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