An opinion poll found that independent candidate Kim Kwan-young, running in the North Jeolla governor race, leads Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Won-taek by 16.6 percentage points (p). Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae and floor leader Han Byung-do have made back-to-back visits to North Jeolla, launching an effort to "defend the stronghold," but the party appears to be struggling.
At the request of Jeonla Ilbo, JoWON C&I surveyed 1,001 North Jeolla residents ages 18 and older on the 25th–26th about support for the North Jeolla governor. Independent candidate Kim Kwan-young was tallied at 51.9%, while Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Won-taek came in at 35.3%. They were followed by Yang Jung-mu of the People Power Party at 3.1%, Baek Seung-jae of The Progressive Party at 1.8%, and independent candidate Kim Sung-soo at 1.6%.
By area, in Gunsan (zone 3), Kim Kwan-young had 65.7% and Lee Won-taek 25.0%, a gap of 40.7%p. In Jeonju (zone 1), Kim Kwan-young had 51.0% and Lee Won-taek 34.9%. In Iksan (zone 2), Kim Kwan-young had 43.8% and Lee Won-taek 42.5%, the smallest difference.
By party support, among Democratic Party of Korea supporters, Kim Kwan-young stood at 48.6% and Lee Won-taek at 43.7%, showing higher support for the independent candidate than for the candidate from their own party. Among Rebuilding Korea Party supporters, Kim Kwan-young had 65.7% and Lee Won-taek 20.6%. Among People Power Party supporters, Kim Kwan-young had 55.0% and Lee Won-taek 6.9%.
The top criterion for choosing a candidate was "character and competence" at 32.9%. Next were "policies and pledges" at 28.5%, "morality and integrity" at 20.1%, and "affiliated party and political leaning" at 12.2%.
To support Lee Won-taek, the Democratic Party of Korea sent leader Jung Chung-rae and floor leader Han Byung-do on successive visits to North Jeolla. Jung visited Jeongeup and Jeonju in North Jeolla on the 25th, and Han has visited the province five times this month. Kim Kwan-young was expelled from the Democratic Party of Korea the day allegations of cash handouts surfaced and has since consistently claimed "political persecution."
The poll was conducted using an automated response (ARS) system with virtual mobile numbers. The response rate was 12.4%. The margin of error was ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For details, refer to the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.