South Koreans are set to go to the polls in less than a week to choose their lawmakers for the next four years, but despite heightened inter-Korean tensions and even warnings about the possibility of war, North Korea has been almost completely absent from the election.

Both the ROK public and the vast majority of candidates have demonstrated a marked disinterest in North Korean issues ahead of the April 10 general elections, concentrating instead on more pressing domestic concerns.

Polls show that voters are far more worried about economic issues, governance and the cost of living than North Korea and