ROK presidential rivals make final election pitch

Race looks set to go down to the wire: pollsters

The two rivals for the Republic of Korea's presidency made a final pitch to voters on Tuesday, on the eve of an election that looked set to go down to the wire and could produce the country's first female leader.

The winner of Wednesday's ballot will face numerous foreign and domestic challenges, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a slowing economy and soaring welfare costs in one of the world's most rapidly aging societies.

Ruling conservative party candidate Park Geun-hye is looking to make history as the first female president and the first to be related to a former leader.

Park, 60, is the daughter of the late ruler Park Chung-hee, who was shot dead by his spy chief in 1979. Park's mother was killed five years earlier by a pro-DPRK gunman aiming for her father.

Standing between her and the presidential Blue House is the liberal Moon Jae-in, 59, from the main opposition party, a former human rights lawyer who was once jailed for protesting against the rule of Park's father.

Final opinion polls showed that Moon had eroded the small, but clear lead Park enjoyed for much of the campaign, leaving the result too close to call, said commentators.

After locking in the support of their respective conservative and liberal bases, the two candidates have actively wooed crucial centrist voters, resulting in significant policy overlap.

Both have talked of "economic democratization" - a campaign buzzword about reducing the social disparities caused by rapid economic growth - and promised to create new jobs and increase welfare spending.

Moon has been more aggressive in his proposals for reining in the power of the giant family-run conglomerates, or "chaebols", that dominate the ROK economy and there are significant differences on policies regarding the DPRK.

While both have signaled a desire for greater engagement with Pyongyang, Park's approach is far more cautious than Moon's promise to resume aid without preconditions and seek an early summit with DPRK leader Kim Jong-un.

In her final national pitch at a televised news conference on Tuesday, the never-married Park promised a strong, maternal style of leadership that would steer the ROK through the challenges of the global economic crisis.

"I have no family to take care of, and no children to pass wealth to. You, the people, are my family and your happiness is the reason that I stay in politics," Park said.

"Like a mother who dedicates her life to her family, I will become the president who takes care of the lives of each one of you.

"Please open a new era under the country's first female president with hope for change and reform," she said.

Moon was viewed as more combative at a similar event, slamming Park's ruling New Frontier Party as corrupt and incompetent.

"If you spare them punishment, past wrongs will be extended. We have to take up the cudgel and tomorrow is the very day to do so," Moon said, making a special appeal for a strong turnout.

Moon is popular with younger voters while Park's natural constituency is among older, more conservative citizens, especially those who admired her father.

As older voters traditionally turn out in force, Moon's campaign has pushed hard to ensure his supporters do likewise.

Polling booths open at 6 am on Wednesday and close at 6 pm.

Agence France-Presse

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