SOUTH Korea's ruling liberal party yesterday picked a former TV anchorman and Minister for North Korea as its presidential candidate whose meagre support rate makes him a long shot at best in the December election.

Chung Dong-young, 54, a populist backing a soft line on North Korea and more aid to South Korea's poor, is 40 percentage points behind the main opposition conservative party's candidate in support ratings with some 70 days to go before the election.

Analysts say the race for the December 19 vote is not for Chung to win but for the conservative party's candidate Lee Myung-bak - a former high-flying executive with the Hyundai Group - to lose.

Surveys show voters want Asia's fourth-largest economy to be more competitive and think it is time to end 10 years of rule by liberal presidents and replace President Roh Moo-hyun in the Blue House with the pro-business Lee.

"I resolutely reject a Lee Myung-bak style economy of the strong eating the weak, an economy just for the rich," Chung said in his acceptance speech.

His commanding win follows a bitter and messy primary campaign to be the United New Democratic Party candidate, which included a police investigation of Chung aides for possible vote rigging.Chung's conservative opponent Lee, has been investigated over possible shady land deals.Reuters