"Yoon's Approval Rating Stagnant, Lee's Approval Rating Showing Upward Trend" Claim
"Candidates Still Know the Data... Feelings Change with Each Campaign Rally"
On the evening of the 2nd, at the KBS main building studio in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, during the 3rd social sector broadcast debate for the 20th presidential election candidates hosted by the National Election Commission, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is passing by Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Yoo Si-min, former chairman of the People’s Livelihoods Foundation, predicted the outcome of the 20th presidential election, stating that "Candidate Lee Jae-myung will narrowly defeat Candidate Yoon Seok-youl by a 1 percentage point margin." Yoo based this prediction on "observing the recent facial expressions and tones of Candidates Lee and Yoon."
On the 7th, during an appearance on KBS's 'The Live,' Yoo responded to the host's question, "Please predict the outcome of this presidential election," by saying, "The 1 percentage point is not an absolute figure but a symbolic number indicating how tight this election is."
Former Director of the People’s Life Labor Foundation, Yoo Si-min, predicted the victory of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate, in the 2022 presidential election. / Photo by KBS YouTube capture
He continued, "(Although it is the period when public opinion polls are prohibited from being published) the candidates know the data. Polls are conducted by the Democratic Policy Institute under the Democratic Party and the Yeouido Institute under the People Power Party," adding, "Moreover, media outlets also conduct polls, which are secretly obtained. A few key people in the candidates' camps likely know the current trend of support rates."
He said, "Since I am not a party member, I do not know for sure, but I guess by watching the candidates' facial expressions, tone, and movements," emphasizing, "The candidates themselves are the ones who know the poll results best. Depending on how the polls looked last night, their mood during today's campaign will differ."
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is appealing for support from voters during a campaign rally held in front of Dunsan Galleria in Seo-gu, Daejeon on the afternoon of the 7th. / Photo by Yonhap News
Yoo claimed that when comparing the facial expressions of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party candidate Yoon Seok-youl, Yoon appeared to be at a disadvantage. He said, "Candidate Lee may not know if he is winning or losing, but when looking at Candidate Yoon, you get the feeling that he is losing. In recent days, he has become rough, fierce, without a trace of a smile, and his voice has risen," adding, "There were many scenes captured on camera where he showed irritation toward election workers."
He further explained, "Looking at the last polls before the publication ban, most showed Candidate Yoon ahead overall, some were close, and a few showed Candidate Lee winning," and said, "When combined, Candidate Yoon was slightly ahead, but Yoon's trend was fixed, while Lee's support rate was steadily increasing." In other words, Yoo argued that toward the end of the election, Candidate Lee began to narrow the gap with Candidate Yoon in support rates.
Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is appealing for support at a campaign rally held on the afternoon of the 7th at Dongtan Central Park in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province. / Photo by Yonhap News
Meanwhile, under the current Public Official Election Act, from six days before the election day until the close of voting, the publication of any public opinion poll data that predicts party or candidate support or election results is prohibited. Accordingly, the publication of polls for this presidential election has been banned since the 3rd.
Amid this, on the 2nd, Kim Dong-yeon, leader of the New Wave party, declared support for Candidate Lee and withdrew from the presidential race, and the next day, Candidate Yoon and Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, abruptly announced their "unification of opposition candidates."
Opinions in the political sphere were divided regarding the impact of the candidate unification on the support rates of the ruling and opposition parties. Woo Sang-ho, head of the Democratic Party’s general election campaign headquarters, labeled the opposition unification as a "collusion," predicting, "The public, who have observed the entire process, will deliver a strict judgment."
On the other hand, Kwon Young-se, head of the People Power Party’s election campaign headquarters, expressed his expectations in a post on his Facebook, saying, "I thank Ahn Cheol-soo for his generous decision to withdraw unconditionally," and added, "The public’s desire for a regime change has come much closer."
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