Chun Junho: "Shy Gukhim Temporarily Not Responding to Polls"
"Weekday Early Voting May Lead to Supporters Not Participating"
According to recent presidential election polls, Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party's candidate, is leading with an approval rating of around 50%. However, the Democratic Party has argued that there are "shy Gukhim" (supporters of the People Power Party who are temporarily not responding to polls), and emphasized that they must remain vigilant until election day.
At a press briefing held at the Democratic Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 16th, Chun Junho, head of the Democratic Party's Central Election Strategy Headquarters, stated, "Polls are only estimates and not the actual voting results. After analyzing the situation from various angles, the strategy headquarters has concluded that it is not a time to be optimistic about the presidential race."
Chun explained, "When comparing published poll results with actual voter turnout, it is estimated that the gap in approval ratings narrows, and we believe there are still 'shy Gukhim' who are temporarily not responding." He added, "Since this is an early election held after the president was impeached due to insurrection and martial law, the traditional People Power Party base lacks motivation and justification to participate in the election. These factors are less reflected in the support for the People Power Party or its candidate."
After the briefing, Chun told reporters, "The situation for the People Power Party could change at any time, so we need to monitor the situation and prepare accordingly. If we set our election strategy based on the current situation as if it is fixed, it could lead to difficulties later." Regarding the candidate's approval rating, he said, "As we approach the end of the presidential race, approval ratings are likely to converge with party support rates, and if that happens, the gap could narrow to single digits."
The early voting period is set for May 29-30, which falls on weekdays, and this is also being closely watched. Chun noted, "This is the first time early voting will take place only on weekdays, so there is a possibility that many Democratic Party supporters, such as office workers and students, may not be able to participate in voting. As a result, the actual vote share could turn out lower than the poll results."
Meanwhile, with the official campaign period having started on the 12th, the Democratic Party has stated its commitment to doing everything possible to prevent terror threats against candidate Lee. Kang Hoonshik, head of the campaign's General Situation Room, mentioned, "We plan to complete the production of bulletproof glass shields for campaign sites early next week and install them."
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