SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - With just one week remaining before South Korea’s snap presidential election on Jun. 3, Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung continues to lead over People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, according to the final public opinion survey released before the pre-election blackout period.
The Realmeter poll, conducted on May 26 and 27, showed Lee with 49.2 percent support, extending his lead over Kim, who received 36.8 percent. Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok followed with 10.3 percent. Since the previous survey, Lee’s support rose by 2.6 percentage points, while both Kim and Lee Jun-seok saw slight drops.
The margin between the top two candidates widened to 12.4 percentage points, up from 9 points earlier. Realmeter noted that Lee appears to have regained upward momentum, while Kim has faced mixed responses within the conservative bloc, amid internal rifts over candidate unification and calls for generational reform.
Regionally, Lee posted a notable rebound in Seoul, leading with 43.2 percent compared to Kim’s 39.5 percent. In Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, traditionally a conservative territory. Lee climbed to 42.2 percent, narrowing the gap with Kim’s 44.9 percent.
However, Lee’s support dipped in several regions, including Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province, as well as Daejeon, Sejong, and the Chungcheong provinces. He also saw a 4.2-point decline in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, though he continues to lead comfortably in key areas. Kim made modest gains in the Chungcheong and southeastern regions, while Lee Jun-seok also saw slight increases in those areas.
By age group, Lee leads among voters in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Kim draws stronger support from voters in their 20s and those aged 70 or older. Lee Jun-seok’s support is concentrated in the 20s demographic, where he reached 29.9 percent.
In hypothetical head-to-head matchups, Lee led Kim by 52.3 percent to 41.7 percent. Against Lee Jun-seok, Lee held a 50.6 percent to 36.7 percent lead. Both gaps have widened compared to previous surveys.
Nearly 89 percent of respondents said they planned to continue supporting their chosen candidate through election day. When asked who they expected to win regardless of personal preference, 57.8 percent predicted Lee, followed by Kim at 33.8 percent and Lee Jun-seok at 4.7 percent.
This survey is expected to be the final publicly released poll before the legally mandated blackout period. Under South Korean election law, polls conducted after May 28 cannot be published until after the vote.
The poll was conducted through automated phone interviews on wireless lines with 1,003 adults nationwide. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level, and the response rate was 10.1 percent. Full details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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