VOA常速英语2007年-S. Korean Desire for Change Hampers Former Cabi

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
16 December 2007

He has been a South Korean cabinet minister, and sat across the negotiating table from North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. However, former news anchor Chung Dong-young is a distant second in polls ahead of Wednesday's South Korean presidential election. As VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, experts say Chung's standing¹ is hurt by his connections to an incumbent² president many view as ineffective.

With South Korea's presidential campaign in its last few days, Chung Dong-Young's rallies remain loud and passionate³.

Despite that enthusiasm, with an approval rating of about 16 percent, Chung trails the race's frontrunner by about 30 percentage points.

Chung is the nominee⁴ of the United New Democrats⁵' Party, or UNDP - an alliance of liberal politicians that came together earlier this year, after the Uri party of President Roh Moo-hyun dissolved.

Uri suffered massive defeats in local elections last year, mainly based on voter discontent with the Roh administration. Polling experts say voters think South Korea's economic and diplomatic standing in the world has suffered because of what many say is indecisive leadership by Mr. Roh.

As a former unification minister, Chung is closely tied to President Roh, who is constitutionally barred from a second term.

Chung has staked his campaign on plans to deepen President Roh's policy of engagement with North Korea, which has transferred billions of dollars in aid and investment across the border in the interest of peace.

He calls North Korea a "blue ocean" of economic opportunity for South Korea, and says he will create more zones similar to a South Korean-funded industrial park in the North Korean city of Kaesong.

The engagement policy, however, lost public favor last year, when North Korea conducted its first nuclear weapons test.

Polls indicate about 46 percent of voters back conservative candidate Lee Myung-bak, who says cooperation with the North must be more closely tied to getting rid of nuclear weapons.

However, Kim Jin-hah, a political science professor at South Korea's Keimyoung University, says Chung trails mostly because people are voting in this election with their wallets.

Kim says voters are looking for someone who can provide steady jobs for the economy. He also points out that sentiments of national independence and anti-Americanism are not as strong in South Korea as they were when President Roh seized on them to get elected.

In the last days of the campaign, Chung has focused on fraud allegations against his rival Lee. The frontrunner was cleared of those charges, but Chung's supporters say prosecutors⁶ were biased⁷ in their investigation⁸.

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

3 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

4 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

7 biased   

a.有偏见的

参考例句：

• a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
• The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。