Next Presidential Preference: Lee Jae-myung 27%, Lee Nak-yeon 10%, Yoon Seok-youl 9%, Ahn Cheol-soo 5% [Gallup]

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] A public opinion poll showed that Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, ranked first in the preference survey for the next presidential candidate.

Korea Gallup announced on the 5th that in a survey conducted from the 2nd to the 4th among 1,002 people nationwide aged 18 and over, when asked who they thought would be a good political leader to lead Korea, i.e., the next presidential candidate, 27% of respondents answered Governor Lee, the highest percentage.

Following him, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, came in second with 10%, surpassing Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who received 9%.

Compared to the survey conducted a month ago, Governor Lee's preference increased by 4 percentage points, creating a significant lead with a 17 percentage point gap over the second place.

Prosecutor General Yoon, who ranked second in last month's preference, saw his support drop from 13% to 9%, a 4 percentage point decrease, while Lee Nak-yeon's preference remained unchanged at 10%.

Following them, Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, received 5%, and Hong Joon-pyo, an independent lawmaker, received 2%.

Gallup explained that until July last year, Lee Nak-yeon was clearly leading with a preference rate in the mid-20% range, but in August, Governor Lee surged rapidly, forming a leading competition among ruling party figures. They also added that last month, Governor Lee's preference rose again while Lee Nak-yeon's dropped sharply, widening the gap between the two.

Within the Democratic Party supporters, Governor Lee's preference was 45%, significantly ahead of Lee Nak-yeon’s 23%.

In Gwangju and Jeolla, Lee Nak-yeon's stronghold, Governor Lee's preference (32%) was also higher than Lee Nak-yeon's (29%).

Meanwhile, President Moon Jae-in's approval rating for his administration rose by 1 percentage point from the previous week to 39%. The disapproval rating was 52%, with 4% responding "neither," and 5% either unsure or refusing to answer.

Party support rates were surveyed as follows: Democratic Party 36%, People Power Party 22%, Justice Party 5%, and People’s Party 4%.

This survey contacted 6,880 voters aged 18 and over nationwide, with a final 1,002 respondents completing the survey, recording a 15% response rate. The sampling error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For more details, refer to the Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.