Lee Jae Myung's Approval Rating Nears 50% Even After Supreme Court Remand

Leading in All Two-, Three-, and Four-Way Races

Even after the Supreme Court's remand decision with a guilty verdict under the Public Official Election Act, the approval rating for Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, remains close to 50%.

According to a compilation of public opinion poll results released on May 6, Lee Jae Myung maintains support of around 50% in any election scenario against Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party candidate, Han Ducksoo, the independent preliminary candidate, and Lee Junseok, the Reform New Party candidate.

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung is greeting citizens at the 'Neighborhood Listening Tour' held on the 5th at Yangpyeong Mulmalgeun Market in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News

In a hypothetical four-way presidential race poll conducted by JoongAng Ilbo and Gallup Korea on May 3-4, targeting 1,006 adults aged 18 and over (referenced by the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission, wireless phone interviews), Lee Jae Myung received 47%, leading Han Ducksoo (independent preliminary candidate, 23%), Kim Moonsoo (People Power Party, 13%), and Lee Junseok (Reform New Party, 4%) by a margin outside the margin of error. In a hypothetical three-way race where Kim Moonsoo and Han Ducksoo unify their candidacies and Han Ducksoo runs, Lee Jae Myung received 49%, Han Ducksoo 36%, and Lee Junseok 6%.

If Kim Moonsoo is included instead of Han Ducksoo, Lee Jae Myung received 49%, Kim Moonsoo 33%, and Lee Junseok 9%. Even in a hypothetical head-to-head race where Kim Moonsoo becomes the unified conservative candidate, Lee Jae Myung (52%) defeated Kim Moonsoo (39%) by a margin outside the margin of error. If Han Ducksoo runs as the unified candidate, Lee Jae Myung received 51% and Han Ducksoo 41%.

In a three-way hypothetical presidential race poll conducted by Korea Research on May 4 at the request of MBC, targeting 1,006 adults aged 18 and over (wireless phone interviews), Lee Jae Myung received 50%, leading Kim Moonsoo (29%) and Lee Junseok (5%). In another hypothetical match-up where Han Ducksoo runs instead of Kim Moonsoo, Lee Jae Myung also received 50%. Han Ducksoo and Lee Junseok received 32% and 6%, respectively.

The results of a poll conducted by YTN and Embrain Public on May 4-5 (wireless phone interviews) were not significantly different. In the three-way race including Kim Moonsoo, Lee Jae Myung received 48%, Kim Moonsoo 29%, and Lee Junseok 8%. When Han Ducksoo was included, Lee Jae Myung received 47%, Han Ducksoo 34%, and Lee Junseok 6%.

Chun Junho, head of strategy at the Democratic Party's election campaign committee, stated at a meeting of the campaign committee chiefs held at the Democratic Party's central office in Yeouido, Seoul, on May 6, "Even in the public opinion polls published after the People Power Party runoff (held on May 3), support for Lee Jae Myung and the Democratic Party remains unwavering."