Final opinion polls for S. Korea's Presidential Election indicates surprisingly tighter race

National polls are releasing their final public opinion surveys ahead of the June 3rd Presidential Election.

The race is getting tighter as voters become more sure of who they'll back on Election Day.

Oh Soo-youg breaks down the figures.

With just eleven days until the June 3rd Presidential Election, the stakes are higher in the final public opinion polls,.. and the candidates' televised debates.

A Gallup survey conducted between May 20th and 21st, shows Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung is still ahead with 46 percent support.

But compared to a week earlier, his approval has dropped, while his main rival Kim Moo-soo of the People Power Party, has gained 5 points --narrowing the gap between them from 22 points to 12.

Meanwhile, the Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok saw his support jump to 11 percent --marking two-digit figures for the first time in this race, as the young right-leaning candidate --and former PPP leader --appeals to a growing number of 20s and 30s, and centrist voters.

The final National Barometer Survey on Thursday showed a similar trend.

Lee Jae-myung lost three points while Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok scored higher ratings at 32 percent, and 10 percent.

It seems conservatives and moderates have been solidifying their votes as Election Day draws near.

The gap between the main liberal and conservative candidates shrunk to about one-third of last week's level, in the Seoul capital region.

Young Koreans,.. regarded swing voters, also made decisive moves.

Among voters aged 29 and under, support for Lee Jun-seok jumped to 26 percent, ranking a close second behind the DP's Lee Jae-myung's 30 percent.

The PPP's Kim Moon-soo fell behind at 19 percent.

As all candidates aim to solidify their support base, the number of respondents who said they could switch the candidate they vote for, fell one percentage point to 16 percent.

More than 8 in 10 people say they'll vote in this election.

According to the NBS survey,.. voters believe the biggest tasks for the new president will be reviving the local economy, reforming the structure of politics, and reducing social conflict.

The leading presidential hopefuls will go head to head on Friday night, in their second televised debate focusing on social issues.

Regardless of their preferred candidate, Korean adults under 40 believed the Harvard-educated Lee Jun-seok performed the best at the candidates' first televised debate last Sunday.

Those in their 40s and 50s, who are left leaning, overwhelmingly backed the DP candidate, and those over 70 believed PPP's Kim Moon-soo had outshined others in the TV debate.

Oh Soo-youg, Arirang News.