Kim Young Sam Says Key Foe in Opposition Is Running Third

Kim Young Sam, president of the opposition Reunification Democratic Party, predicted here Friday night that he will win the Dec. 16 presidential election by a majority vote and said his main opposition rival, Kim Dae Jung, is running third among four major contenders.

“If the election were held tomorrow,” the 59-year-old leader said in an interview, “I would not get more than 50% of the votes, although I am the front-runner.”

But in all South Korean elections, he added, “votes tend to go to one candidate near the end of the race. I will get more than 50% of the votes, even in a four-way race.”

Kim refused to predict whether Kim Dae Jung, his ally against the authoritarian government of President Chun Doo Hwan until the two parted ways in late September, would drop out of the race at the last moment.

“According to the data I have,” he said, “Roh Tae Woo (Chun’s handpicked ruling party nominee) is running second now, not Kim Dae Jung.”

He declined to disclose details but said that Kim Dae Jung is trailing Roh by a small percentage but “quite a big margin in the number of votes.”

Kim Young Sam said he intends to continue attacking Roh for his involvement in a Dec. 12, 1979, mutiny that gave Chun, then a major general, control of the army, which he used six months later to stage a coup.

The decision of retired Gen. Chung Seung Hwa, ousted as army chief of staff in the mutiny, to support him and denounce Roh, Kim Young Sam said, “has made the people confident that I can control the military.”

Chung’s announcement Nov. 9 that he was joining the Reunification Democratic Party as Kim’s adviser also showed that “the attitude of the generals toward me has changed,” Kim said.

Chung’s support, he said, had both boosted his own standing and damaged the image of Roh, who, as a major general, moved his troops from the front area to support the 1979 mutiny.

Ending “military rule” has emerged as a major campaign theme, with even Roh pledging to run a civilian-led government if elected. But there are widespread fears that military leaders might intervene again, particularly if Kim Dae Jung, whom they consider to be a radical leftist, is elected.

Kim Young Sam, who has charged the ruling party with waging an unfair campaign, including biased reporting by government-controlled television stations, said he believes “cheating on a big scale will be difficult in the vote counting.

“Although high officials favor cheating (in ballot counting), lower-echelon civil servants have changed their attitude and won’t go along,” Kim said.

“If in some way Roh succeeds in cheating and has himself declared the winner, Korea will become another Philippines and Roh will become another Marcos,” Kim added, referring to former Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who was driven into exile during a military-led revolt in February, 1986.

The opposition leader said he does not intend to raise any issues concerning South Korea’s relations with the United States during the campaign. He said he agrees with a campaign pledge made by both Roh and Kim Dae Jung to regain command of South Korea’s armed forces from U.S. control. But he said he would discuss that issue with Washington if elected.