S.Korea's Presidential candidates make final pitch on election eve

South Korea, Candidates made last pitches to voters Tuesday on the eve of South Korea's presidential election that has been shaken up by parliament's approval of a fraud investigation into the heavy favorite in the race.

Conservative Lee Myung-bak appeared headed for an easy win in Wednesday's vote on his 66th birthday with massive leads in opinion polls for months, despite the taint of corruption that has shadowed him throughout the campaign.

"Have you been happy over the past five years?" Lee asked more than 1,000 cheering supporters Tuesday during a Seoul rally. "If we have a capable leader, we won't be afraid of Japan and China, and we can move forward even though the world economy is in a difficult situation."

The popularity of Lee, a former Hyundai executive and Seoul mayor, is largely attributed to a perception that he can inject new life into the economy after what has been viewed as lackluster performance under incumbent liberal President Roh Moo-hyun.

But in a blow to Lee's standing, the National Assembly voted Monday to approve an independent counsel to investigate him in a stock manipulation case surrounding a former business associate where prosecutors had already cleared him of wrongdoing.

The move came after the main liberal United New Democratic Party publicized a video showing Lee saying in 2000 that he founded the firm at the center of the case.

Lee has said the comments were taken out of context and flatly denied the allegations. "Even if they investigate me 10 times or 100 times, the results will not change," Lee told a press conference earlier Tuesday. "There is only one truth."

Experts predict the probe will not disrupt Lee's ride toward the presidential Blue House that would end a decade of liberal rule in South Korea.

Seoul, Tuesday, AP