With one day left before the December 19 Presidential Election, the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) claimed that its candidate was in the lead, while the Grand National Party (GNP) countered that their hopeful would take over during polling. However, parties’ analyses are known to show voter turnout and swing votes will ultimately determine the outcome of the race; Seoul and Chungcheong areas were still "grey" and support varied drastically by area and age. Moreover, 15 percent of voters are estimated to have not made up their minds yet.

GNP candidate Lee Hoi-chang is speculated to have the full support of Gyeongnam Province, to be in the lead in Gangwon Province and to have approximately half of the votes of the Chungcheong Provinces and the Seoul area. Also the GNP candidate is know to have the substantial support of voters in their 50s.

MDP candidate Roh Moo-hyun is estimated to have the full support of the Jeolla Provinces, and half of the votes of the Chungcheong Provinces, with substantial support of voters aged 20 to 40.

Therefore, parties are expecting that securing votes in Seoul and Chungcheong areas, and with people in their 40s, will determine who will become the 16th President of the Republic of Korea.

Kim Young-eil, general secretary of GNP said "Roh lost voters in Seoul because of his ‘administrative capital relocation’ pledge." Lee Hae-chan, head of the MDP planning committee countered, "Last minute regional swings and the low voter turnout of voters in their 20s will bring us a relative landslide."

(Choi Byung-muk bmchoi@chosun.com )