Seoul: South Koreans voted on Wednesday in a closely contested legislative election, a key test of sentiment before December's Presidential vote, with economic concerns sidelining worries over North Korea.
President Lee Myung-Bak's ruling conservative New Frontier Party (NFP) is struggling to preserve its Parliamentary majority to pave the way for a second successive Presidential victory in eight months' time.
The main opposition centre-left Democratic United Party (DUP) is seeking to exploit discontent over rising prices, high education and housing costs, job difficulties, a widening income gap and a weak welfare system.
The NFP had 165 seats in the outgoing parliament against 89 for the DUP.
It depicts its opponents as socially divisive and bent on undermining a decades-old security alliance with the United States, particularly through their vow to renegotiate a recently ratified free trade deal with the United States.
"Democracy has retreated, people's livelihood suffered and inter-Korean ties have broken down during the four years of the Lee government," it said in a statement.
North Korea's impending rocket launch is the main focus of international attention but has barely figured in the election campaign in the South, which is used to tension with its communist neighbour.
"Young voters, students and people must deliver a crushing defeat to the traitors," the ruling party daily Rodong Sinmun said.
These include NFP leader Park Geun-Hye and her potential opposition rival Moon Jae-In. Lee cannot constitutionally stand for a second term.
Turnout was being closely watched. A high figure was seen as indicating strong participation by young voters which would benefit the opposition.
Four hours before polls close at 6.00 pm (0900 GMT), turnout was 37.2 percent compared to 33.2 per cent at the same hour four years ago.
Increasing numbers of voters were going to the polls as rain stopped.
"I voted for the NFP for stability," 80-year-old Cho Sun-Jae told Agence France Presse (AFP) as he left a polling station in Seocho district in southern Seoul.
Kim Jin-Young, a 31-year-old office worker in Seoul, said she voted for the opposition. "At least the DUP seems to be the lesser of two evils," she said after casting her ballot at Deokso district in the east of the capital.
There are 246 directly contested seats and 54 proportional representation seats, allocated to parties according to the total numbers of votes they receive nationwide.
Each voter receives two ballots, one for a candidate and one for a party.
Official results were expected after midnight.
President Lee Myung-Bak's ruling conservative New Frontier Party (NFP) is struggling to preserve its Parliamentary majority to pave the way for a second successive Presidential victory in eight months' time.
The main opposition centre-left Democratic United Party (DUP) is seeking to exploit discontent over rising prices, high education and housing costs, job difficulties, a widening income gap and a weak welfare system.
The NFP had 165 seats in the outgoing parliament against 89 for the DUP.
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It depicts its opponents as socially divisive and bent on undermining a decades-old security alliance with the United States, particularly through their vow to renegotiate a recently ratified free trade deal with the United States.
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"Democracy has retreated, people's livelihood suffered and inter-Korean ties have broken down during the four years of the Lee government," it said in a statement.
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North Korea's impending rocket launch is the main focus of international attention but has barely figured in the election campaign in the South, which is used to tension with its communist neighbour.
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"Young voters, students and people must deliver a crushing defeat to the traitors," the ruling party daily Rodong Sinmun said.
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These include NFP leader Park Geun-Hye and her potential opposition rival Moon Jae-In. Lee cannot constitutionally stand for a second term.
Turnout was being closely watched. A high figure was seen as indicating strong participation by young voters which would benefit the opposition.
Four hours before polls close at 6.00 pm (0900 GMT), turnout was 37.2 percent compared to 33.2 per cent at the same hour four years ago.
Increasing numbers of voters were going to the polls as rain stopped.
"I voted for the NFP for stability," 80-year-old Cho Sun-Jae told Agence France Presse (AFP) as he left a polling station in Seocho district in southern Seoul.
Kim Jin-Young, a 31-year-old office worker in Seoul, said she voted for the opposition. "At least the DUP seems to be the lesser of two evils," she said after casting her ballot at Deokso district in the east of the capital.
There are 246 directly contested seats and 54 proportional representation seats, allocated to parties according to the total numbers of votes they receive nationwide.
Each voter receives two ballots, one for a candidate and one for a party.
Official results were expected after midnight.
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