Hahn pulls out of primary

Representative Hahn Hwa-kap of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party dropped out of the party's presidential primary Tuesday, the third candidate to do so since the primary kicked off March 9. His departure narrows down the race to a four-way competition among Representatives Rhee In-je and Chung Dong-young, and party senior advisers Noh Mu-hyun and Kim Joong-kwon.

"I wanted to challenge the notion that a native of the Jeolla provinces cannot become our party's presidential candidate, but I realize it is not my time now," Mr. Hahn said in a press conference at party headquarters in Seoul. After the first four primaries he was third behind Mr. Rhee and Mr. Noh.

"I humbly accept the wish of the Gwangju citizens who want to achieve national harmony among regions, and the advice of fellow Millennium Democrats," Mr. Hahn said. He said he had no plans to back a certain candidate.

But his reference to the Gwangju primary was interpreted by most observers as implicit support for Mr. Noh, who won in Gwangju. Mr. Noh has 1,237 votes behind Mr. Rhee's 1,779. Mr. Hahn took 648 votes in the four primaries.

"Mr. Hahn made a big decision to accept the ardent wishes of Gwangju and Jeolla region residents that the ruling party win the presidential election while achieving harmony between the Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces," an aide to Mr. Noh said.

Aides in Mr. Rhee's camp were wary of the endorsement. "Should Mr. Hahn endorse a certain candidate, a dispute about fairness in the primary could arise," one of Mr. Rhee's advisers said.

Mr. Hahn's resignation turns the primary into a de facto jostle between Mr. Rhee and Mr. Noh. Party insiders said that whom Mr. Hahn supports will unfold this weekend in Gangwon province.

Mr. Hahn is a long-time insider of the ruling party's dominant faction, the Donggyo-dong faction. When party reformers last year called on the faction to democratize the party Mr. Hahn sided with the reform advocates, estranging himself from the faction's grand old man, Kwon Roh-kap. That division is fueling the speculation that he will support Mr. Noh because Mr. Kwon is thought to back Mr. Rhee.

by Kim Chong-hyuk