Two heavyweight politicians are engaged in a high-stakes legal battle, the result of which could inflict fatal damage on the political future of either one and might set the tone for this year’s presidential campaign.

Rep. Park Geun-hye, the leading presidential hopeful of the ruling Saenuri Party, sued Rep. Park Jie-won, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party, for libel on Monday over his allegations of her involvement in a bribery scandal surrounding a suspended savings bank.

The DUP lawmaker claimed last week she met a key lobbyist for the savings bank on several occasions, calling for an investigation to clarify suspicions.

In a meeting with reporters after filing the suit with the prosecution, Park Geun-hye deplored what she described as a repetition of negative campaigning based on falsehoods.

Denying she met or even knew the lobbyist, she called on prosecutors to conduct a thorough probe into the case and make public its outcome in detail to help “uproot negative (campaign practices).”

The DUP whip appears not to have winced at her action. Park Jie-won told his party colleagues Tuesday he felt excited with the thought that “a very interesting thing will likely happen” in the course of the legal wrangling.

He said he had evidence to back up his claims, including testimonies from more than two figures informed of the meetings between Park Geun-hye and the lobbyist.

An aide to the ruling party’s presidential frontrunner demanded Park Jie-won immediately release whatever evidence he has, saying his failure to do so would deepen the public’s distrust in the opposition party.

The legal measure apparently reflected Park Geun-hye’s determination not to allow her opponents to bloat suspicions over her alleged ties with the lobbyist to hamper her second and probably last challenge for the presidency. She recently formed a group of experts to cope with a possible negative campaign against her in the upcoming presidential race.

Depending on the outcome of the legal war, either of the two politicians is set to suffer heavy political damage that might be insurmountable.

If she proves to be involved in the lobbying scandal, Park Geun-hye would see her presidential dream virtually evaporate, being accused of calumny herself.

Alternatively, the DUP floor leader would pay dearly for his reckless accusations, with his political career probably being driven to the wall.

The tit-for-tat between them could be seen as an indicator of what lies ahead in the lead-up to the Dec. 19 presidential election.

With voters becoming less enthusiastic about their competition to churn out populist welfare pledges, rival parties are likely to focus on impugning their opponent candidate’s character as they have done in past campaigns.

It was an ominous precursor that cases of slander accounted for 32.2 percent of illegal activities during last April’s parliamentary elections, up from 14.5 percent in the previous legislative polls.

The way the libel suit is handled could affect the psychology of election strategists in both parties, making them more cautious about staging negative campaigns.

Therefore, the prosecution is urged to carry out the investigation into the case in a quick, thorough and objective manner to prevent the presidential race from being held hostage to a prolonged legal battle.

It would be rather easy work to determine facts of the case, if the DUP floor leader puts forward all the evidence he has for verification.

From a common sense point of view, it is hard to understand why he insists on not disclosing his evidence until the presidential race enters the main stretch.

Such a stance apparently contradicts his initial call for an investigation by the prosecution and thus could cause public doubt that he might have made the allegations without convincing grounds.

If this would finally prove to be the case, it might be hoped the libel suit could help make both the opposition and ruling parties think again about negative campaigning, though it might take longer for them to be free of the practices they have been long used to.