South Korea's Park Geun Hye tries to make history

SEOUL (AP) - South Korean presidential candidate Park Geun Hye heads into Wednesday's election under the weight of history. Not only is she the daughter of a dictator who ruled for 18 years, but she's trying to win power in a country still dominated by men.

No Korean woman is believed to have ruled since Queen Jinseong more than a millennium ago.

As president, Ms Park would have to face North Korean belligerence - most recently shown in a provocative rocket launch last week - and growing worries about jobs, a rapidly aging population, plummeting birthrate and the role of big business.

But many would also expect action on a host of problems that beset women: many are paid less than men doing the same work; many are trapped in low-paying jobs, despite first-class educations; many are struggling to raise families and pursue careers; many are discouraged by the tiny number of women who rise to the top of the society's most prestigious jobs.