Moon rises in key S Korea battleground On a bitterly cold evening in the port city of Busan, hundreds of residents crammed in to a small shopping square for a glimpse of the local man bidding to become South Korea's next president. "My victory would mean a victory for the nation and for the people of Busan," Moon Jae-in, candidate for the liberal Democratic United party, told the crowd on Friday in the city where he spent his formative years, his voice hoarse from the campaign trail. Earlier that day, Mr Moon had been boosted by a supportive speech at the same venue by Ahn Cheol-soo, the popular independent candidate who quit the race two weeks ago to avoid splitting the liberal vote. Although Mr Ahn had already endorsed his former rival, this was his first public appearance in support of him, boosting the DUP candidate and damping speculation of a rift between the two men. The poll on December 19 promises to be one of the closest in South Korea's 25 years of free elections. After a marked slowdown in the export-led economy in recent years, calls have been growing for a fairer distribution of wealth. Both Mr Moon and his main surviving rival in the race, Park Geun-hye of the ruling New Frontier party, are basing their campaigns around the concept of "economic democracy," with promises to rein in powerful conglomerates and boost social spending. Busan, South Korea's second city, benefited from investment under the old military regime - established by Ms Park's father, Park Chung-hee - and has been a traditional stronghold for the conservative party that emerged from the authoritarian leadership. But it has become a crucial "swing state," says Han Jung-hoon, a professor of politics at Soongsil University. "Many people in Busan are angry over the ruling party's economic policy," he says, highlighting the cancellation of a planned new airport for the city. People in Busan feel that they have not benefited economically from [President Lee Myung-bak's] regime, so many of them now support Moon . . . How much support he gets from Busan and the surrounding area will be one of the deciding factors for this election. Mr Moon, 59, was imprisoned as a student for protesting against the former military regime, but went on to serve in the elite special forces. After a career as a lawyer, he was appointed chief of staff to the late president Roh Moo-hyun. The liberal candidate won an enthusiastic reception from the assembled supporters in Busan, who chanted his name and danced to his campaign theme songs. But of greater immediate significance was the earlier appearance by Mr Ahn, who has developed a cult following among young people disillusioned with the main political parties. Before he quit the race, the combined poll ratings of Mr Ahn and Mr Moon comfortably outweighed that of Ms Park. Yet it is not clear how many of Mr Ahn's supporters will follow his call to vote for Mr Moon, who was elected to parliament in April. Lee Jin-bok, leader of the New Frontier party's office in Busan, forecasts that as many as one in four will transfer their loyalties to Ms Park, who is also seeking to benefit from voters" desire for change despite her status as the ruling party candidate. "For all our history, men have held power," Mr Lee says. It's time for a change. Achieving parity between men and women is one of our biggest challenges. Lee Joon-ryong, a 27-year-old radiologist, lends weight to arguments that Mr Moon should not take such support for granted. A former backer of Mr Ahn, he objects to Mr Moon's promise of a substantial increase in aid to North Korea. "It will go to their government - I don't want my taxes used like that," he says, explaining his decision to vote for Ms Park. She says North Korea would need to start winding down its nuclear programme before she would enact plans to help it improve its infrastructure and attract foreign investment. But many young people on the streets of Busan say that they see Mr Moon as the best remaining option after Mr Ahn's withdrawal. And even Ms Park's local backers concede that she will struggle to match Lee Myung-bak's 58 per cent share of the Busan vote in 2007. "Voters in the city show signs of departing from regionalism," says Mr Han at Soongsil University. Mr Lee's popularity has fallen dramatically during his term - presidents are banned by the constitution from running for a second term - in part because of a perceived closeness to corporate interests. Analysts say this has contributed to Ms Park's decision to play down her party's traditionally pro-business stance Nevertheless, a drive to the surrounding countryside makes plain that traditional allegiances run deep. Few young people are to be seen in the village of Sunae, and the middle-aged and elderly residents voice strong support for Ms Park. Like many of her older supporters, they cite the economic advances under her father - despite his human rights violations - and say that she will emulate his achievements, having served as his first lady for five years after the murder of her mother. "Park Chung-hee was a hero, the best president ever - and she is his daughter," says the owner of a real estate business, who asked not to be named. Young people [voters] don't have the experience to judge the right way. Additional reporting by Jung Gu-hun