South Korea's rival presidential candidates made strategic stops on their campaign trails Friday as the two seek to swing what polls show is a tight race in their favor.

The ruling Saenuri Party's Park Geun-hye, who is looking to become the first female leader of the country and extend the conservative rule for another five years, visited the conservative stronghold of Busan on the fourth day of the campaign.

The port city was once the center of popular movement against Park's father, late military strongman Park Chung-hee whose 18- year authoritarian rule is still subject to partisan disputes, but has grown conservative over the years.

Busan, however, is also a political hometown for the main opposition Democratic United Party's Moon Jae-in, and handed him his first parliamentary seat earlier this year.

"When he was in Busan, Moon never talked about future," Park, 60, said during a rally in Busan. "Instead, he only attacked me about things that happened more than 30 years ago."

Her barb was aimed at Moon's criticism of her reluctance to apologize for human rights abuses committed during her father's rule.

Moon, a 59-year-old former human rights lawyer who was jailed in 1975 for protesting against the senior Park, headed to the conservative stronghold of Daegu to woo voters who have long backed right-wing leaders.

The southeastern city is the hometown of Park, who acted as the de facto first lady to her father after her mother was assassinated.

Reports say Moon, who also served as chief of staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun, will point to a string of weak economic indicators for the region during the tenure of Roh's successor, Lee Myung-bak of the Saenuri Party.

Moon's campaign, which claims to represent new political voices disempowering the entrenched interests, has labeled Park a " princess" out of touch with ordinary people.

Latest polls show a tight race between the rivals, with a survey of 1,500 people by ratings agency Realmeter putting Park at 47.4 percent compared to Moon at 42.8 percent.

A separate poll released a day ago by Realmeter showed the two candidates going neck and neck in Busan and Park leading by a wide margin in Daegu.

Analysts say the Dec. 19 poll will pivot around who would manage to absorb independents and former supporters of independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, who bowed out of race following short- lived talks with Moon over merging their campaigns.

Lee is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election.