Main opposition party leads in key election battlefields: poll
High-profile politicians face uphill battles
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is leading in six closely contested constituencies, with less than two weeks to go before the April 10 general elections, according to a recent poll.
In the districts, much-heralded big-name politicians such as minor conservative Reform Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok and minor liberal Saemirae Party’s head Lee Nak-yon are struggling with low approval ratings as their momentum diminishes.
According to a poll conducted by Hankook Research at the request of The Korea Times’ sister paper the Hankook Ilbo on 505 adults in Yeongdeungpo-A constituency in Seoul, former Yeongdeungpo District head Chae Hyeon-il, the DPK candidate, was leading the race with 40 percent of support against Kim Young-joo from the ruling People Power Party (PPP).
Kim, deputy speaker of the National Assembly, defected from the DPK in February in protest of the party ranking her in the bottom 20 percent in terms of Assembly activities, and joined the PPP.
In the Jung and Seongdong-A constituency in Seoul, Jeon Hyun-heui of the DPK gained 37 percent support among 510 survey respondents, against the PPP’s Yun Hee-suk at 30 percent. The nomination of Jeon, former chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, caused an internal feud at the DPK as she was picked instead of Im Jong-seok, a former chief of staff for President Moon Jae-in, although it was Im’s home turf.
Former Justice Minister Choo
Mi-ae, a DPK candidate who has served five terms in the Assembly and as the opposition party head, is ahead of PPP candidate Lee Yong in the Hanam-B constituency in Gyeonggi Province, as Choo garnered 39 percent among 500 respondents against Lee’s 31 percent.
In Busan’s Buk-A constituency, the DPK’s Chun Jae-soo far outpaced the PPP’s Suh Byung-soo, with 52 percent support versus 30 percent, respectively, among 500 surveyed people.
As the two major parties’ dominance is still strong, Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party and Saemirae Party’s Lee Nak-yon are struggling.
Among 514 voters in the Hwaseong-B constituency of Gyeonggi Province, DPK candidate and former Hyundai Motor Company President Kong Young-woon gained 36 percent support, and the Reform Party head trailed behind Kong with 21 percent, followed by the PPP’s Han Jeong-min with 15 percent.
Lee has been considered a political rookie among conservatives since his debut in 2011, and briefly served as the chairman of the PPP. However, he has never been elected to the Assembly, losing in the 2016 and 2020 general elections and the 2018 by-election. He left the ruling party ahead of this year’s elections and created his own party with those critical of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
In the southwestern liberal stronghold of Gwangju, Min Hyung-bae of the DPK was also far ahead in the race in the Gwangsan-B constituency with a 55 percent support rate in a survey of 500 respondents.
Lee Nak-yon, who previously served as prime minister and DPK head, had only 15 percent while PPP candidate Ahn Tae-wook had 2 percent.
The poll surveyed voters from March 23 to 26. Further details on the poll are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission’s website.