Both Lee and Kim Jong Pil call the Chungchung region of central South Korea home, a coincidence that could dilute the oppositionist's strength.

CNN: Change at the Top

South Korean PM Kim Jong Pil (No. 35 last year) was crucial in getting President Kim Dae Jung, this year's co-No. 1, into office.

CNN: THE SPOTLIGHT PASSES ON

On Nov. 3, South Korea saw the joining of forces by two opposition presidential candidates: Kim Dae Jung of the National Congress for New Politics and Kim Jong Pil of the United Liberal Democrats (ULD).

CNN: Alliances and Defections

Kim Dae Jung, a liberal former democracy activist, was once a constant target of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, the national security apparatus that conservative Kim Jong Pil formed during military strongman Park Chung Hee's rule.

CNN: Alliances and Defections

"It's time to end the politics of the three Kims, " said Lee, referring to the ex-president, plus the incumbent president and Kim Jong Pil, three veteran politicians with the same surname who have dominated South Korean politics since the early 1960s.

CNN: THE RETURN OF THE THREE KIMS