The make up of the new National Assembly looked likely to be a delicate balance between conservatives and liberals after parliamentary elections Wednesday, seen as a prelude to the presidential race at the end of the year.

With final results still in the balance late Wednesday night, the governing Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party were waging a tight race, with neither likely to secure a majority in the 300-seat parliament.

Many races in politically neutral Seoul and its vicinities were still too close to call as of press time, which may well decide control of the Assembly.

The election has extra importance as it comes just eight months before another election to pick the successor to President Lee Myung-bak. The outcome is expected to hugely impact the dynamics of the race.

Braving wet weather, voters started to trickle into 13,470 polling stations across the country from 6 a.m. and each cast two ballots, one for their district candidate and the other for a political party.

Electronic ballot-counting at 252 designated locations began soon after balloting closed at 6 p.m.

Some 246 lawmakers will be selected through the direct vote and another 54 through proportional representation.

Voter turnout was higher than in the previous general election, recording 45.7 percent as of 4 p.m.

“I believe voters will make a wise choice as to which candidate would keep his or her promise,” Saenuri chief Park Geun-hye said outside a polling station in Daegu, the conservative heartland in southwest.

Taking full charge of the party’s campaign, the politician had asked voters to support Saenuri and condemn the “irresponsible liberals” who oppose major national projects, such as the recently implemented Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

The DUP, for its part, had sought to frame the election as a chance to pass judgment on the “corrupt and arrogant” Lee administration and Saenuri Party.

“Your vote will change the future of this country. Vote to judge the Lee regime,” Kim Hyun, the party’s spokesperson said.

Whichever party wins the most seats, the tight race signals a return to the center of the country’s political pendulum in the lead-up to the presidential battle in December, political pundits say.

The Saenuri Party currently controls 165 seats in the parliament, while the DUP holds 80.

Early in the race the opposition bloc appeared headed for a solid victory, capitalizing on public dissatisfaction with Lee’s growth-first policies, which many believe have fueled a middle-class squeeze and economic polarization.

The DUP, making a series of mistakes in selection of candidates, failed to extend its early lead and the race has become one of the closest in recent memory.

The main opposition group joined forces with the far-left Unified Progressive Party, hoping to steal parliamentary control from the Saenuri through an alliance, if not alone.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)