"I Haven't Decided Who to Choose"... 'Presidential Candidate Debate' Is the Right Time to Capture Swing Voters During Seollal Holiday

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] With the 20th presidential election just over 40 days away, there is a growing expectation that this Lunar New Year holiday will be a critical period for the undecided voters who have yet to choose a candidate. Presidential candidates are adopting a strategy of reducing regional visits during the holiday compared to previous years to cooperate with efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, instead focusing on preparing for broadcast debates to boost their approval ratings.

According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from the 25th to the 27th among 1,000 adults nationwide, candidate Lee's approval rating stood at 35%, while candidate Yoon also recorded 35%. Candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Sim Sang-jung received 15% and 4%, respectively. Meanwhile, 10% of respondents said they had not yet decided on a candidate.

As the election day approaches, the number of respondents withholding their opinions is decreasing. In the survey conducted from October 19 to 21 last year, 18% of respondents were undecided, but this figure has dropped by 8 percentage points in the recent survey.

This trend is also reflected in other polls. A survey commissioned by MBC to Korea Research, conducted over two days on the 26th and 27th among 1,002 voters nationwide, showed candidate Lee and candidate Yoon at 32.9% and 41.1%, respectively. Although these figures differ from Gallup Korea's results, the proportion of respondents who did not specify a candidate?due to no response, none, or uncertainty?decreased from 18.9% in the December 29 to 31 survey last year to 11.9%, a 7 percentage point drop.

Presidential candidates and their respective parties are intensifying negotiations and preparations for the two-person and four-person TV debates scheduled during the Lunar New Year holiday. This marks a stark contrast to previous elections, where candidates continued regional campaigns at major train stations such as Seoul Station and Yongsan Station during the holiday. Given the government's request to refrain from traveling home to prevent Omicron spread, candidates are reportedly reducing their schedules and focusing on debate preparations.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

First, ahead of the two-person debate between candidates Lee and Yoon scheduled for the 31st of this month, a tense power struggle is underway between the Democratic Party and the People Power Party. On the afternoon of the same day, the two parties held working-level negotiations on specific details such as the debate format and duration, but these talks ended in deadlock.

The Democratic Party proposed dividing the debate into three topics: 'livelihood economy,' 'diplomacy and security,' and 'moral verification.' However, the People Power Party opposed this format, arguing that topic-specific debates would not allow for proper scrutiny of the 'Daejang-dong controversy' and 'Seongnam FC-related allegations.' Candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Sim Sang-jung, who obtained a court injunction banning the two-person TV debate, are reportedly aiming to promote their policy visions and seek a rebound in support during the four-person broadcast debate scheduled for the 3rd of next month.

Political commentator Jong-hoon Lee explained, "Unlike past presidential elections, the time remaining after the holiday until the election is short. Therefore, the impact of the debates on the election is significant," adding, "It is highly likely that undecided and moderate voters will decide whom to vote for based on these debates." He further noted, "Given the high unfavorable ratings of candidates Lee and Yoon, there is ample room for candidates Ahn and Sim to see a rebound in their support depending on the debate's influence."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.