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| Former prosecutor general and presidential contender Yoon Seok-youl gets into a vehicle after visiting former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Jongno District, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap |
Runner-up contenders in ruling, opposition blocs emerging
By Nam Hyun-woo
Moves by less favored candidates from both the ruling liberal and opposition conservative blocs to gain support in their bids to run in the presidential election is heating up the race among those seeking a party ticket for next year’s poll.
According to a Realmeter poll on support for the potential candidates, conducted on 2,036 adults last week, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl was leading the pack with 27.8 percent, followed by Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung with 26.4 percent and former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon with 15.6 percent.
The two Lees are from the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), while Yoon is anticipated to run in the election as an opposition conservative candidate.
Compared to a similar survey conducted during the last week of June, Yoon’s support has declined by 4.5 percentage points to below 30 percent for the first time in nearly four months, while support for Governor Lee and former Prime Minister Lee rose 3.6 percentage points and 7.2 percentage points, respectively.
Yoon has solidified his status as the No. 1 candidate since he resigned from the top prosecutor post in March to join the presidential race, but his campaign has been losing luster recently, as he has been slow to disclose his political identity and policy ideas.
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| Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong, left, and conservative main opposition People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok speak to reporters at the PPP’s headquarters, Seoul, Thursday, after the former joined the party. Yonhap |
Against this backdrop, former Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong, who quit his BIA post and announced his presidential bid after fighting the Moon Jae-in administration, joined the PPP, Thursday, grabbing the public’s attention and the opportunity to secure support within the opposition party.
During a radio interview on Friday, PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok said that Choe was “a major presidential contender” and that “the PPP was being recognized as a platform for a power turnover.”
Although Choe’s support rate remained at 4.2 percent in the latest poll, this fact did not reflect his support among the PPP membership, raising questions as to how he can grow his presence. Among some conservative politicians, including those from the opposition, Choe has been considered as an alternative to Yoon, as the latter has become embroiled in corruption allegations involving his family members.
“While Yoon is taking time to establish his political identity, Choe seized the chance and joined the PPP,” said Eom Gyeong-yeong, the director of the Zeitgeist Institute. “Though it was a fresh start, Choe’s political story is still weaker than Yoon’s, whose conflict with President Moon became a national issue. To exploit this momentum, Choe needs to quickly show what his politics are.”
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| Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, right, speaks during a radio interview at broadcaster CBS’s headquarters in Yangcheon District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap |
In the liberal ruling bloc, Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung and former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon are competing for the top spot. While the governor has been the leading contender from the DPK, the former prime minister has seen a leap in support rate recently.
The gap between two Lees stood at 10.8 percentage points in the latest Realmeter poll, down from 14.4 percentage points in the previous poll.
“Though there seems to have emerged a twist in the presidential race recently, it seems to be due to the temporary disarray often observed in periods of preparation,” Eom said. “Former prime minister Lee’s recent surge is largely attributable to support from those in their 20s and 30s, whose support of the DPK is getting weaker. On the other hand, Governor Lee has strong support from those in their 40s and 50s, who are loyal to the DPK.”
As the competition has heated up, the two Lees have raised allegations against their respective camps.
During a radio interview with CBS on Wednesday, Lee Jae-myung said, “The former prime minister should take a look around himself,” referring to Lee Nak-yon’s former aide, who committed suicide during an investigation into his alleged involvement in the Optimus Asset Management fraud case. This fraud case generated more than 1.6 trillion won ($1.4 billion) in losses for more than 4,000 investors.
Governor Lee’s comments were interpreted as a response to the former prime minister’s continued criticism of Lee’s wife, surnamed Kim, who is facing allegations that a Twitter account that defamed President Moon and victims of the Sewol ferry disaster belonged to her.
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| Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon speaks to reporters after visiting the memorial altar of South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo’s father-in-law in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. Yonhap |
Presidential race takes new twist
Source: Buhay Kapa PH
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