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

Today we start with a gauge of voter sentiment AHEAD of the two-day early voting that begins next Thursday and the snap election on June 3rd.

Oh Soo-youg has our top story.

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.

Gallup's final survey conducted this week, shows the Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung is still ahead with 46 percent support.

But compared to a week earlier, his approval dropped six points, while his main rival Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, has gained seven points narrowing the gap between them from 22 points to 10.

Meanwhile, the Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok saw his support jump to 10 percent marking two-digit figures for the first time in this race

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.

"If you look at the regional voter distribution released monthly by Gallup Korea, conservatives actually outnumber progressives. Given this numerical advantage, how actively conservatives are willing to vote in this election is, in my view, critically important."

Among independent voters, who don't affiliate themselves with any party, preference for the DP and Reform candidates was neck and neck, while the PPP contender fell to third place.

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

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

The PPP's Kim Moon-soo was significantly 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 hold a second televised debate on Friday night, focusing on societal issues.

Regardless of their preferred candidate, Korean adults under 40 believed the Harvard-educated Lee Jun-seok performed the best at the candidates' first live debate last Sunday, which touched upon trade and the economy.

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-young, Arirang News.