MINOR PRES. CANDIDATES POSE THREAT

[Anchor Lead]

Turning to the presidential race now.. The ruling party’s Lee Jae-myung and the main opposition party’s Yoon Seok-youl are the two front-runners. But candidates from minor political blocs are being seen as having the potential to shake things up depending on whom they seek to form alliances with.

[Pkg]

Amid the election centering around the two main camps, Sim Sang-jung and Ahn Cheol-soo, two candidates from minor opposition parties, are seeking to increase their political presence and leeway by cooperating on certain issues.

[Soundbite] Sim Sang-jung(Justice Party Presidential Candidate) : "For presidential candidates, it is a responsibility to work together for the common goal of political reform while acknowledging differences."

They are on the same page regarding launching special prosecutors’ teams to investigate allegations surrounding Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl. Sim and Ahn are also jointly pushing for political reform and introducing the final ballot system. However, the two have not yet gone so far as to discussing the merging and fielding of a single candidate, since they show great differences in political perspectives and values they pursue. The only goal they share is to change and break the current political system, which focuses on the two main camps.

[Soundbite] Ahn Cheol-soo(People’s Party Presidential Candidate) : "I must clarify it's not about merging or cooperating on other policies. It's that we jointly back the proposal to launch two special prosecutors’ teams against Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl."

The ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power Party assess that the cooperation between Sim and Ahn is meaningless and will be short-lived inevitably, as neither of them is a fresh figure with explosive power. Former Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon, an independent candidate running in the presidential race, points out that both Sim and Ahn are part of the existing political establishment. But future approval ratings are the key variable. If Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl don't win enough voters' support to consolidate their lead, Sim and Ahn could raise their voices and change the election landscape, proposing political reform. Meanwhile, veteran politician Sohn Hak-kyu, former head of the opposition Bareunmirae Party, announced his fourth presidential bid, calling for the abolishment of the presidential system.