Heo Kyung-young Leads Sim Sang-jung... 4th Place in Multi-Candidate Race Approval Ratings
Candidate Heo Kyung-young of the National Revolutionary Party, who ran for the Seoul mayoral by-election in April last year. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Heo Kyung-young, the presidential candidate of the National Revolutionary Party, is increasingly likely to participate in TV debates as his approval ratings rise. So far, Candidate Heo has attracted public attention with his bold pledge to "unconditionally give 100 million won to everyone aged 18 to 100 within one month of taking office as president." He is expected to actively promote this pledge during TV debates as well.
On the 26th, a poll showed that Candidate Heo ranked 4th, ahead of Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party, in a multi-candidate presidential race approval rating survey. According to a presidential candidate support survey (with a 95% confidence level and ±3.1% margin of error) conducted by Korea Information Research on behalf of NewsPim on the 23rd, targeting 1,005 adults nationwide aged 18 and over, Candidate Heo recorded a support rate of 5.6%, while Candidate Sim showed 3.1%.
Candidate Heo's approval rating rose by 3.1 percentage points compared to last week's survey conducted by the same agency. Presidential candidates with an average approval rating of 5% or higher in polls are eligible to participate in debates hosted by the Election Broadcasting Debate Commission. If Candidate Heo maintains a support rate above 5%, he may be able to participate in broadcast debates. For more details, please refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.
According to the Public Official Election Act, the eligibility criteria for presidential candidates to attend broadcast debates are holding at least 5 seats in the National Assembly, receiving 3% or more of the votes in the last presidential election, or being a candidate from a party that received 3% or more in the last proportional representation election in the general or local elections. Additionally, candidates whose average poll ratings exceed 5% for one month before the start of the election campaign period are also included. Candidate Heo meets the 5% poll rating requirement.
Last August, candidate Heo declared his presidential bid dressed as a general in front of the Daechupmun Gate at Haengjusanseong Fortress in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News
Previously, Candidate Heo pledged 100 million won in COVID-19 livelihood support funds, a monthly national dividend of 1.5 million won, 300 million won upon marriage, and 50 million won for childbirth. He also proposed cash benefits such as a 200,000 won dating allowance for unmarried men and women. To finance these pledges, he stated that he would save 70% of the national budget by converting the president and members of the National Assembly to unpaid honorary positions.
He emphasized himself as the best candidate for regime change and made bold pledges targeting young people in their 20s and 30s. On August 18 last year, at the Daechipmun Gate of Haengju Fortress in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, Candidate Heo declared his presidential bid, stating at the press conference, "There is no hope for regime change unless it is Heo Kyung-young."
He also stressed to young people, "Young people who cannot marry because of money are eagerly waiting for my appearance on TV." Regarding the budget to finance his pledges, he explained, "If we save 70% of the approximately 550 trillion won annual budget, 385 trillion won remains." He added that by reducing prisons by 90%, changing the fine system to be proportional to property, securing 100 trillion won annually, and collecting 200 trillion won in taxes through anti-tax evasion measures, a total of 758 trillion won can be secured annually.
Meanwhile, this is Candidate Heo's third presidential bid. He first appeared in politics by registering as a candidate in the 13th presidential election in 1987. He later ran in the 13th presidential election in 1996, the 17th presidential election in 2007, and also ran in the Seoul mayoral by-election on April 7 last year.
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