With the Chuseok holiday behind them, the three leading presidential candidates braced for the parliamentary audit of the government, a key political event coming up later this week, while scrambling to find star figures to fill key posts in their teams.

The trio ― Park Geun-hye of the Saenuri Party, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party and independent Ahn Cheol-soo ― all got back on the campaign trail Tuesday, with a bunch of new polls suggesting a tighter race.

Park, the conservative Saenuri Party’s standard-bearer, held a meeting with her key advisors and campaign strategists, while her two liberal rivals resumed their campaigns with visits to symbolic locations. Moon of the main opposition Democratic United Party paid respect to deceased democracy fighters while independent candidate Ahn made a courtesy call on the widow of former liberal President Kim Dae-jung.

The next showdown of the three is expected inside the National Assembly later this week, when the parliament begins a 20-day audit of the government.

Park’s Saenuri Party, which holds a majority status, and its liberal foes are all determined to use the event as a chance to attack rival candidates and their presidential pledges.

The governing Saenuri aims to shield its candidate from attacks on the incumbent administration and President Lee Myung-bak, and instead shed light on the mishaps of the previous administration of President Roh Moo-hyun in an indirect jab at the DUP candidate. Moon was Roh’s right-hand man, serving him as chief of staff.

The DUP is salivating over the chance to scrutinize the conservative ruling camp, which it blames for a deepened socio-economic polarization, swelling household debt, soured relations with North Korea and many controversial projects, such as a 22-trillion won plan to refurbish the nation’s four rivers.

Park, the Saenuri candidate herself, will be another main target of DUP lawmakers. Her ethics, historical perceptions and suspected wrongdoings of her relatives and close confidants are high on their check list.

Ahn, although he is not a member of the parliament or any of the rival political camps, will also have to fend off attacks on his reputation, as lawmakers are set to dig into suspicions that the doctor, entrepreneur and professor-turned presidential candidate made shady deals on personal and business-related matters. 

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