By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The five presidential contenders of the pro-government United New Democratic Party (UNDP) supported continuing the ``sunshine policy'' of engagement toward North Korea during a debate featuring their individual campaign pledges, Friday.
However, former Gyeonggi Governor Sohn Hak-kyu was attacked by the remaining contenders due to his previous affiliation with the conservative Grand National Party.
The five were seemingly divided into two groups of three loyalists to President Roh Moo-hyun and two non-loyalists.
Roh loyalists include former Prime Ministers Lee Hae-chan and Han Myeong-sook, and former Minister of Health and Welfare Rhyu Si-min while the other group includes Sohn and former Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young.
The competition between the two groups will likely continue during four more televised debates and joint rallies in 16 provinces and metropolitan cities starting next Saturday.
``Sohn said he could not welcome an inter-Korean summit that is aimed at winning the presidential election, which is irresponsible,'' Han said.
The former governor rebuffed this saying that he was trying to stress that the president should not be involved with the presidential race.
``I advised Roh to have an inter-Korean summit even if he had only one day left in his term of office,'' Sohn said.
They also attacked his 15-year-affiliation with the GNP from which he bolted on March 15.
``Sohn came from the conservative Grand National Party, so I doubt he is suitable for the UNDP,'' Lee said in a televised debate aired by the MBC a day earlier.
The former governor defended his decision saying he joined the UNDP _ launched Aug. 5 _ for a coalition of centrists earlier than the three Roh loyalists.
The three supporters of the president also attacked Chung Dong-young and his achievements as a unification minister.
Chung highlighted that South and North Korea agreed to construct a joint industrial complex in Gaesong, a North Korean border city, while he was serving as a unification minister between 2004 and 2005.
Han claimed that he is exaggerating his efforts for the Gaesong complex, something the two Koreas actually agreed on before his tenure.
The three loyalists also criticized his defection from the now-defunct governing Uri Party, the de facto predecessor to the UNDP during the MBC debate.
Chung, a co-founder of the Uri Party, worked as the party's chairman twice, in 2004 and 2006, respectively.
The once-largest Uri Party was disbanded after suffering from consecutive desertions. Chung deserted it on June 18.
The three Roh loyalists are allegedly considering forming an alliance to defeat the two frontrunners Sohn and Chung but still differ over who will represent the Roh supporters' group.