Dictator's daughter runs for S Korea presidency

S Korea: Park Geun-Hye, the daughter of an assassinated dictator, officially launched her bid Tuesday to become South Korea's first female president, with polls placing her as frontrunner in December's election.

The veteran politician, who is expected to secure the ruling conservative New Frontier Party's nomination at its primary next month, softened her message in a speech apparently intended to broaden her appeal beyond conservatives.

Pledging to work for a fair and transparent market economy, Park, 60, vowed to expand welfare and push for "economic democratisation" amid a widening wealth gap and high youth unemployment in Asia's fourth largest economy.

"Our economy has excessively emphasised efficiency and disregarded the importance of fairness, resulting in an increased income gap and imbalances," she told cheering supporters at a shopping plaza in western Seoul.

"I will... create a government that boldly and resolutely enforces laws to make influential companies fulfill their social responsibilities," she said. AFP