Candidates take to Seoul-Busan route right before election

Korea`s two leading presidential contenders will take to the road on the path between Seoul and Busan on Tuesday, the last day of their official election campaigns.

Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party will campaign from South Gyeongsang Province and move up to Busan, Daejeon to Seoul. Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party will head the opposite direction in going from Seoul to Cheonan and Asan, Daejeon, Daegu and Busan. The race is neck and neck, so both candidates must crisscross the country until the day before the election.

After wrapping up her 22-day official campaign at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Park will be around Myeongdong and Namdaemun areas until midnight to win over voters in Seoul. Moon will end his official campaign trail in Busan, where it began, to garner support in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province.

Both candidates will release a statement to the people in a news conference before hitting the road on the Seoul-Busan route.

They campaigned in the Seoul metropolitan region Monday, with Park visiting Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province, the southern part of Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon. She pledged to set up a special youth committee to better communicate with young people and tailor policies to them. Moon participated in a national declaration event for a change in power and new politics, covering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province after announcing 10 visions for university reform.

Park said in one speech, “I think a vote to decide the country’s future is heavier than a million tons of gold.” Moon said, “If you say it takes an hour to vote, that hour will decide the next five years.”

Ruling party spokesman Ahn Hyeong-hwan attacked the problems of the opposition camp after Lee Jung-hee of the minor opposition United Progressive Party dropped out of the race, saying, “If Moon is elected on the back of Lee Jung-hee and Ahn Cheol-soo, state affairs will be in chaos and Koreans will be unhappy.”

Chung Se-kyun, a senior adviser to the Democratic United Party, blasted the ruling party, the National Intelligence Service and police, saying, “The Lee Myung-bak administration crossed the line and has resorted to political maneuvering.”

ditto@donga.com