Poll: Lee Jae-myung leads South Korean presidential race with 42% support

Poll: Lee Jae-myung leads South Korean presidential race with 42% support

Seoul, South Korea — In the latest opinion poll, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea (DP), maintains a commanding lead in the race for the June 3 presidential election. According to a survey conducted by Realmeter, Lee Jae-myung secured 42% of the voter support, down 1.7 percentage points from the previous week [1].

The poll, which surveyed 1,505 adults aged 18 and older, showed Lee's support has dipped slightly amid uncertainties over the Supreme Court's ruling on his election law violation case. Despite this, Lee continues to hold a substantial lead over his competitors [1].

Among the contenders from the ruling People Power Party (PPP), former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo ranked next with 13.4% support, followed by former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo with 10.2%, and former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon with 9.7%. Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative Reform Party polled at 4.4%, while Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the PPP sat at just 2.5% [1].

In a separate question on preference for the next governing bloc, 56.8% of respondents favored a change in administration, while 37.7% supported the previous governing bloc. Calls for change have continued to outpace support for continuity for nine consecutive weeks [1].

The pollster noted that while Lee’s support dipped slightly, he remains the clear front-runner among all candidates. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, with a confidence rate of 95% [1].

South Korea is set to hold a presidential election on June 3 after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over his failed martial law bid. Lee Jae-myung, who is the front-runner in opinion polls, won the DP's presidential nomination earlier in April. He has put economic recovery as his top priority and voiced openness for talks with North Korea [2].

References:
[1] https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10475588
[2] https://www.lokmattimes.com/international/south-korea-democratic-party-presidential-candidate-lee-keeps-wide-lead-in-opinion-polls/