A poll found that the gap between the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party narrowed slightly. Support fell sharply in Honam, a stronghold for the Democratic Party.
According to results from a survey conducted by pollster Realmeter at the request of Energy Economy News on the 14th–15th, approval for the Democratic Party of Korea was 45.8% and for the People Power Party was 33.5%. The Democratic Party of Korea fell 2.9 percentage points, while the People Power Party rose 2.6 percentage points.
The Rebuilding Korea Party was 3.8%, the Reform Party was 3.2%, and The Progressive Party was 1.8%. The survey was conducted nationwide with 1,003 people age 18 and older using an automated response method on wireless phones. The response rate was 3.7%, and the margin of error was ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For details, see the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.
By region, the Democratic Party of Korea recorded 57.2% in Honam, down 14.3 percentage points. Seoul also fell 5.2 percentage points to 39.8%. In Daegu and North Gyeongsang, it was 37.3%, up 6.9 percentage points.
By contrast, the People Power Party recorded 20.7% in Honam, up 7.4 percentage points. In Seoul, it also rose 5.1 percentage points to 37.9%.
Realmeter analyzed, "For the Democratic Party of Korea, remarks by Blue House policy chief Kim Yong-beom about 'national dividends' escalated into an ideological controversy, prompting defections among conservatives and moderates, and as nomination infighting in Gwangju and North and South Jeolla drew attention, support appears to have declined." It added, "For the People Power Party, the launch of the central election committee helped streamline its campaign apparatus, which seems to have strengthened conservative consolidation and lifted support."