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Lee, Park are Top Candidates in South Korea
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak is holding on to first place in the early stages of South Korea's presidential race, according to a poll by Gallup Korea published in Chosun Ilbo. 43.9 per cent of respondents would support the Grand National Party (GNP) member in this year's ballot.
Former GNP chairwoman Park Geun-hye is second with 20.3 per cent, followed by former Kyonggi governor Sohn Hak-kyu with 8.2 per cent. Support is considerably lower for former Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young, former justice minister Kang Kum-sil, current prime minister Han Myeong-sook, health and welfare minister Rhyu Si-min, current Uri Party chairman Kim Geun-tae, and former Seoul National University president Chung Un-chan.
Roh Moo-hyun won the December 2002 presidential election with 49 per cent of all cast ballots as a candidate for the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP). In February 2004, Roh severed ties with the MDP and publicly voiced his support for the Uri Party. Lawmakers from the MDP and the GNP successfully voted to initiate impeachment procedures against Roh. Former prime minister Goh Kun briefly took over as interim president before the country's Constitutional Court ruled in favour of Roh.
Last month, Sohn announced he was leaving the GNP after 14 years to form his own political group, adding, "I've decided to break with outdated conservatism and an incompetent left and seek a new road for the new Republic of Korea. (...) I'm willing to sacrifice myself to organize a dream team for the country."
Roh questioned Sohn's motives, declaring, "It doesn't conform to the principles of democracy if a politician defects from his or her own party just because he or she sees a slim chance of winning a primary for a presidential candidacy. It is an act that shakes the root of democracy if a politician splits up, defects from, or joins a party to win the nomination for the presidential election."
The next presidential ballot is tentatively scheduled for December. Roh is ineligible for a second term.
Polling Data
Which candidate would you support in the presidential election?
Mar. 2007 | Jan. 2007 | |
Lee Myung-bak | 43.9% | 50.8% |
Park Geun-hye | 20.3% | 22.5% |
Sohn Hak-kyu | 8.2% | 3.3% |
Chung Dong-young | 2.4% | 2.4% |
Kang Kuum-sil | 2.3% | -- |
Han Myeong-sook | 1.2% | -- |
Rhyu Si-min | 1.1% | -- |
Kim Geun-tae | 0.9% | 0.5% |
Chung Un-chan | 0.9% | -- |
Source: Gallup Korea / Chosun Ilbo
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 731 South Korean adults, conducted on Mar. 19, 2007. Margin of error is 3.6 per cent.
