By Shim Jae-yun
Staff Reporter

Only a week ahead of the April 15 general elections, the pro-government Uri Party and the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) are in neck and neck competition in many districts in Pusan and the surrounding South Kyongsang Province.

The area has already emerged as the hottest battlefield between the two rival parties that will determine their success or failure in the crucial parliamentary polls.

Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young has been focusing on the so-called PK area from the official start of the campaign, canvassing every nook and cranny to contact prospective voters.

GNP leader Park Keun-hye is also set to visit there more than three times before the election day to appeal for support for the party.

Uri Party on Wednesday inaugurated former South Kyongsang governor Kim Hyuck-kyu as a co-chairman of the campaign headquarters in a show of an indirect support for the region.

In the early stage of the campaigning, the Uri Party enjoyed soaring support in Pusan, with 18 electoral constituencies, boosted by the spreading public wrath over the GNP-led impeachment against President Roh Moo-hyun.

But the atmosphere has changed phenomenally, affected by the rise of Park as the GNP chairwoman coupled with Chung’s disparaging remark against senior citizens, urging them just to stay at home on voting day.

Election experts analyze that the Uri Party is leading in six districts including Saha B, Kangso B, and Yongdo while GNP is overpowering Uri in seven like Chungdong and Sasang constituencies. They are furiously competing in five districts.

The situation in the South Kyongsang Province, with 17 constituencies, has been similar with GNP leading in 10 districts and Uri in six. The progressive Democratic Liberal Party candidate Kwon Young-kil is leading in Changwon B district.

In Ulsan, with five constituencies, candidates from the two parties are engaged in a life or death competition in four districts.

The region, dubbed ``PK,’’ has been a traditional stronghold of the conservative GNP but the situation has changed since the Uri Party has been taking steps to use the region as a foothold to advance into the Kyongsang area as part their strategy towards the creation of a national party.

The constituents in the region have also been generous to the Uri Party candidates, most of whom are followers of President Roh hailing from Kimhae, South Kyongsang Province.

Roh has long cited the need to terminate the chronic regional antagonism with the Uri Party garnering more than 10 Assembly seats at least.

GNP has also been desperate to win in the area as it lacks supports in other provinces like Chungchong and Cholla.

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr