SOUTH KOREAN GENERAL ELECTION SEES RECORD 15 CANDIDATES|南韓總統大選起跑 15人參選破紀錄

In South Korea, official campaigning starts for the presidential election on the 17th, with a record 15 candidates. Latest polls predict an extremely tight race between Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo, who are backed by the country's largest and second largest opposition party respectively. South Korea's major opposition Democratic Party candidate Moon Jae-in began his first campaign stop in the conservative stronghold city Daegu. Recent polls show that Moon falls behind to another front-runner Ahn Cheol-soo with 8% margin in Daegu and Gyeongsang Province. ==MOON JAE-IN South Korea democratic Party== I vow to make South Korea a country where people are sufficiently paid in accordance with how much they work; the country where people are not discriminated against by their differences; the country which enables its people to proudly say my country is South Korea. The 64-year-old Moon lost with a close margin to Park Geun-hye in 2012 election. Moon's campaign slogans include increasing employment expenditures and assisting medium-small size enterprises. As to the 55-year-old software corporation founder, Ahn Cheol-soo held his fist campaign rally at Incheon Harbor where the sunken Sewol Ferry departed. Ahn emphasized to build a country that prioritizes citizens' lives, invest in the industrial development in North Jeolla Province. ==AHN CHEOL-SOO South Korea People's Party candidate== I will become a young president-elect in his 50s, who opens wonderful future for South Korea. A record high of 15 candidates compete for presidency. Polls are showing Democratic Party candidate Moon Jae-in holds the lead, with 3% margin ahead to the second front-runner Ahn cheol-soo. Due to the influence from impeached former President Park, many voters show their intentions to vote this year. ==SOUTH KOREAN RESIDENT== I was indifferent to politics before, but now I realize that one vote is very important and I can decide to vote for a person who can really work hard for the country. I will go to the polls this time. ==South Korean resident== The ruling Saenuri Party, who had vested interests, should be judged and punished. In that sense, I think we need to change the political power. The election came early as former President Park Geun-hye was impeached and arrested over bribe and corruption scandal. Two major election issues are North Korean nuclear missile threats and the U.S.'s THAAD deployment in South Korea. TRANSLATED BY: ANTHONY LIN 南韓5月9號舉行總統大選，競選活動17號正式起跑，本屆共15人登記參選，創南韓總統參選人數最多紀錄。最新民調顯示，南韓最大在野黨"共同民主黨"候選人文在寅，以及第二大在野黨"國民之黨"的安哲秀，支持率在誤差範圍之內，難分軒輊。 南韓最大野黨"共同民主黨"總統候選人文在寅，17號競選活動首日就以首爾南邊保守派大票倉的大邱市做為起跑點，文在寅在大邱跟慶尚北道的支持，遠遠落後給對手安哲秀8個百分點。 ==南韓共同民主黨總統候選人 文在寅== 我承諾讓南韓成為一個勞有所獲，沒有歧視的國家，讓人民都能很驕傲的說，我的國家是南韓。 現年64歲的文在寅，2012年以些微差距敗給當時的朴槿惠，文在寅這次選戰主打增加就業支出，以及協助中小企業發展。至於55歲的南韓最大防毒軟體公司創辦人安哲秀，17號刻意選擇在世越號船難出發地仁川港舉辦首場造勢活動，強調要建立一個人民生命安全為優先的國家，同時也承諾發展落後的全羅北道，投資工業發展。 ==南韓國民之黨總統候選人 安哲秀== 我將成為一位在50幾歲就當選的年輕總統，替南韓開啟美好的未來。 本屆南韓總統大選共15人登記參選，創歷史新高。南韓蓋洛普等多家民調顯示，文在寅支持率暫居第一，但跟第二名安哲秀差距幾乎都在三個百分點的誤差範圍內，廝殺相當激烈。受朴槿惠醜聞的衝擊，許多民眾都表示這次一定會去投票。 ==南韓民眾== 我之前對政治相當冷感，但我現在明白手中選票的重要性，我可以決定誰真正能替國家打拼，這次我一定會去投票。 ==南韓民眾== 執政黨是既得利益者，應該受到審判與懲罰，因此必須要改變政治權力。 這次大選是因朴槿惠遭彈劾下台而提前改選，包括北韓核武跟飛彈威脅，以及南韓是否繼續部署美國的薩德系統等議題，都將是選戰焦點。 記者 靳元慶 報導