Presidential candidates are ramping up their campaigns with just one week left until the June election on Tuesday, as Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung continues to lead a tightening three-way race, with People Power Party rival Kim Moon-soo steadily closing the gap.
Lee has led polls in the race shaped by the fallout from former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law declaration in December, which ultimately led to his ouster, but Kim has been narrowing the margin on the back of conservative support.
In the final stretch of the campaign before two-day early voting begins Thursday, Kim is making a last-ditch effort to unify his candidacy with Lee Jun-seok, the candidate of minor New Reform Party and a former PPP leader, who recently garnered double-digit support.
A Realmeter survey released Saturday showed support for the DP's Lee at 46.6 percent, followed by Kim with 37.6 percent and the NRP's Lee with 10.4 percent.
The public release of new opinion polls will be prohibited beginning Wednesday under election law, leaving this week's surveys as the last indicators of voter sentiment before election day.
Lee Jun-seok, the youngest candidate at 40 who supported Yoon's impeachment, has vowed to stay in the race until the end despite mounting pressure from the PPP.
Kim won the PPP's ticket on the back of staunch conservative support after he refused to apologize over Yoon's martial law declaration, though he ultimately issued a formal apology over public distress caused by the former president's action.
Lee Jae-myung was cautious over a possible conservative alignment ahead of the election, dismissing their potential alliance as an attempt to unite "insurrection forces."
All three candidates are scheduled to participate in the final televised debate later in the day, a high-stakes showdown expected to feature intense clashes over politics, national security and other contentious issues.
Amid tightening margins, Lee Jae-myung is courting centrist voters to solidify his lead.
He has pledged to implement an extra budget to stimulate the economy and proposed forming a task force under his leadership to tackle slowing growth.
To counter conservative criticism that he is "pro-China and anti-American," Lee has reaffirmed South Korea's commitment to the alliance with Washington and underscored support for trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan, while leaving the door open for talks with North Korea.
Kim, a former labor minister under Yoon, has pledged support for key industries to boost the economy and highlighted his past success in bringing Samsung Electronics' semiconductor plant to Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, during his tenure as Gyeonggi Province governor.
On security, Kim has proposed developing nuclear-powered submarines to bolster South Korea's defense against North Korean threats.
He has also sought to shift attention to Lee Jae-myung's legal troubles, highlighting the DP candidate's ongoing corruption trials and criticizing recent legislation pushed by the DP as attempts to shield Lee from pending trials.
Kim has warned that Lee's potential control over the executive, legislative, and judicial branches could usher in an era of "strongman" politics. (Yonhap)
