Wealth gap set to dominate South Korean presidential race

With approval ratings neck and neck, youth vote seen as key

20210910 Lee Jun-seok and Song Young-gil

This montage shows Lee Jun-seok, left, leader of the opposition People Power Party, and Song Young-gil, leader of the ruling Democratic Party. South Korea's two main parties are gearing up for what looks set to be a hard-fought race. (Source photos by AP/Ahn Seong-bok)

YOSUKI ONCHI, Nikkei staff writer, and SOTARO SUZUKI, Nikkei Seoul bureau chief

September 10, 2021 12:32 JST

SEOUL -- Six months from Thursday, South Korean voters will go to the polls to choose their next president, and the leaders of the two main parties are gearing up for what looks set to be a hard-fought race.

The approval ratings of the ruling progressive Democratic Party and the conservative People Power Party, the largest opposition party, are roughly neck and neck in the run-up to their primaries, which will select the final candidates in October and November, respectively. President Moon Jae-in is closing out his single five-year term and cannot run again.