Just Eight weeks before parliamentary elections, South Korean President Rah Moo Hyun's approval rating hovers around 30%. Several close associates are behind bars on corruption charges. There's a continuing nuclear standoff with the North. And with 1 in 12 Koreans facing overdue credit-card bills, consumers are in no mood to spend. Sounds like a prescription for defeat for anyone allied with the President, doesn't it? On the contrary, Roh's camp is oozing with confidence. That's because in a country where 73% of homes enjoy highspeed Internet access, the battle for National Assembly seats will likely be won or lost in cyberspace―an arena where Roh and his youthful allies have strong advantages over their older, less wired rivals. The Uri Party, formed last November by ardent Roh supporters, is counting on Korea's Net-savvy thirty- and fortysome-things to fuel an election triumph in the Apr. 15 vote. This is the same group that helped sweep Roh to power in December, 2002. Now they see the upcoming poll as the best chance to toss out the old guard that dominates Parliament.
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