A poll conducted after the candidates for the 21st presidential election were finalized showed that Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, topped the list with a support rate of 51%, outside the margin of error, as reported on the 14th.
Kim Moon-soo, the candidate of the People Power Party, followed with 31%, and Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party obtained 8%.
According to a survey commissioned by News1, conducted over two days from the 12th to the 13th, 1,002 voters aged 18 and older nationwide were asked, 'Who do you think would be the best candidate to become president among those running in the election?'
8% of respondents said they had 'no preferred candidate,' while 1% answered 'unknown or refused to respond.'
By party, the support rate for candidate Lee Jae-myung among supporters of the Democratic Party of Korea was found to be 95%, indicating a high level of cohesion. Among supporters of the People Power Party, Kim Moon-soo had a support rate of 88%, while Lee Jun-seok had 5%.
In terms of political orientation, support for candidate Lee Jae-myung was at 81% among the progressive camp. Candidates Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok received 10% and 4%, respectively. In the conservative camp, Kim Moon-soo's support was 60%, with Lee Jae-myung at 20% and Lee Jun-seok at 12%.
Among the centrist voters, the support rate for candidate Lee Jae-myung was 56%, followed by Kim Moon-soo at 22% and Lee Jun-seok at 10%.
Regarding the unification of conservative candidates Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok, 43% of respondents said 'it would be better not to unify.' Positive responses toward unification were at 38%, while 'unknown or refused to respond' accounted for 19%.
By age, opposition to unification was predominant among those in their 20s to 50s, while support was more prevalent among those aged 60 and older. By region, 57% in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province (TK) responded that unification is necessary, and 63% of the conservative camp agreed.
76% of Kim Moon-soo's supporters were in favor of unification, while more than half (54%) of Lee Jun-seok's supporters opposed it.
When asked 'who would be a good candidate for unification,' 48% chose candidate Kim Moon-soo, while 36% selected candidate Lee Jun-seok.
Assuming the unification of candidates, there is a tendency for Lee Jae-myung's advantage to become stronger.
In a direct confrontation with candidate Kim Moon-soo, Lee Jae-myung received 55%. Kim received 39%, resulting in a margin of 16 percentage points. Conversely, in a direct contest with candidate Lee Jun-seok, Lee Jae-myung received 54% while Lee Jun-seok received 32%, widening the gap to 22 percentage points.
This survey was conducted via mobile phone (virtual number) through interviews by interviewers, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 18.9%. For more details, refer to the website of the Central Election Poll Commission.