Yoon Seok-yeol Ranks 2nd in Next Presidential Race... Tight Contest Within Margin of Error with Lee Nak-yeon and Lee Jae-myung [Realmeter]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] In the Realmeter poll on preferred candidates for the next presidential election, Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol recorded his personal highest rating, ranking second overall behind Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Realmeter announced on the 30th that in a survey commissioned by OhmyNews conducted from the 23rd to the 27th among 2,538 people aged 18 and over nationwide, Prosecutor General Yoon recorded a preference rating of 19.8%, placing second behind Lee Nak-yeon, who recorded 20.6%. Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung ranked third with 19.4%, dropping one step from the previous month. The top three are in a close race within the margin of error (±1.9 percentage points).

Prosecutor General Yoon's rating rose by 2.6 percentage points from last month's survey (17.2%), setting a personal record. The increase was significant in Daegu·Gyeongbuk (up 9.6 percentage points), Seoul (up 3.9 percentage points), people in their 50s (up 4.7 percentage points), conservatives (up 3.5 percentage points), and moderates (up 2.9 percentage points).

Realmeter analyzed, "The rise in Prosecutor General Yoon's approval rating is mainly attributed to the suspension of Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae's duties," adding, "Yoon appears to be playing a 'pillar' role symbolizing anti-Moon sentiment, standing in the clearest opposition to the current administration."

On the other hand, Lee Nak-yeon fell by 0.9 percentage points from the previous month, continuing a seven-month downward trend. By region, his rating in Seoul dropped by 8.3 percentage points to the 10% range at 17.9%. It also fell by 2.5 percentage points in Gwangju·Jeolla to 43.3%. However, it rose by 3.3 percentage points in Incheon·Gyeonggi and by 1.3 percentage points in Busan·Ulsan·Gyeongnam (PK).

Governor Lee Jae-myung also dropped by 2.1 percentage points from the previous month. Notable declines were seen in Daegu·Gyeongbuk (down 5.6 percentage points), PK (down 4.6 percentage points), people in their 60s (down 3.0 percentage points), conservatives (down 4.4 percentage points), and progressives (down 2.1 percentage points).

Other preferred presidential candidates were Independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo (5.1%), People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo (3.5%), former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min (3.3%), Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae (3.1%), and former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (3.0%).

The survey contacted 56,698 voters aged 18 and over nationwide, with 2,538 completing the response, resulting in a response rate of 4.5%. The sampling error is ±1.9 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For more details, refer to the Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.