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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Lee is Frontrunner in South Korea
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Lee Myung-bak of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) is the early leader in South Korea's presidential race, according to a poll by Matrix published in Maeil. 42.5 per cent of respondents would vote for the former Seoul mayor in this year's election.
Former GNP chairwoman Park Geun-hye is second with 28.9 per cent, followed by former Kyonggi governor Sohn Hak-kyu with eight per cent, former prime minister Lee Hae-chan with 2.3 per cent, and former Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young with 2.1 per cent.
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.
Lee Myung-bak has called for South Korea to take a harder line on North Korea and to promote free-market policies. Park Geun-hye is currently serving her third term in the country's legislature. Her father, Park Chung Hee, was South Korea's president from 1963 to 1979. Sohn Hak-kyu, who is running as an independent, is also deemed a conservative-leaning candidate.
On Jul. 24, Lee said he is the best hope for GNP supporters, saying, "Frankly speaking, the administration will be changed only if I run in the presidential election. The Roh Moo-hyun government has attempted to prevent the favoured candidate of Daegu citizens from winning the GNP primary by all means."
The next presidential ballot is scheduled for Dec. 19. Roh is ineligible for a second term.
Polling Data
Who would you vote for in the presidential election?
Lee Myung-bak | 42.5% |
Park Geun-hye | 28.9% |
Sohn Hak-kyu | 8.0% |
Lee Hae-chan | 2.3% |
Chung Dong-young | 2.1% |
Source: Matrix / Maeil
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 South Korean adults, conducted on Jul. 20 and Jul. 21, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.