[AKYUNG Poll] Who is the Democratic Party Candidate Against Oh Se-hoon... Song Young-gil and Park Young-sun in a Close Race

Democratic Party and People Power Party Seoul Mayor Candidate Suitability
Song Young-gil 19.4%, Park Young-sun 14.7%
Oh Se-hoon Leads with 51.5% Majority Support

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Unlike the People Power Party, which is solidifying around Oh Se-hoon as the sole candidate for Seoul mayor, within the Democratic Party of Korea, former leader Song Young-gil and former Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun are engaged in a close race within the margin of error.

On the 6th, Asia Economy commissioned Realmeter to conduct a public opinion poll targeting 1,015 men and women aged 18 and over residing in Seoul from the 4th to 5th (90% mobile, 10% landline, automated response). When asked, "Among the figures expected to be Democratic Party candidates, who do you think is the most suitable candidate for the next Seoul mayor?" 19.4% supported former leader Song, ranking first. Former Minister Park, who ran in last year's April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election, followed with 14.7%, showing a difference within the margin of error. Representatives Park Joo-min and Park Yong-jin formed the third-tier group with 9.7% and 8.6%, respectively, followed by former Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok at 5.9% and former lawmaker Kim Jin-ae at 5.7%.

However, the Democratic Party is deeply concerned about selecting the Seoul mayoral candidate. Having lost the presidential election, they are putting all their efforts into winning the local elections, but internal disagreements are emerging over former leader Song's candidacy. A representative from former Minister Park's side said, "(Park) is contemplating candidacy while considering what is the best way for the Democratic Party," adding, "She will announce her position soon." They also explained, "It is true that there have been many recommendations for her to run recently," and "Since the competitiveness difference among candidates is not large, there are talks that she should run." Representative Park Joo-min, who is third, is also considering running and is expected to make a decision within this week. Representative Park Yong-jin, ranked fourth, said in a phone call that "I have never declared candidacy, but the fact that my name keeps coming up shows how difficult the party's situation is," adding, "Therefore, how the party sets its strategy is important."

Within the People Power Party, support for Mayor Oh is high. When asked, "Among the figures expected to be People Power Party candidates, who do you think is the most suitable candidate for the next Seoul mayor?" Mayor Oh received 51.5%, gaining majority support. Narrowing down to People Power Party supporters, 8 out of 10 (85.4%) chose Mayor Oh.

Mayor Oh's victory in last year's April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election and his one-year leadership of Seoul's administration, combined with the People Power Party's success in the presidential election, appear to have maximized his effect. Within the party, former lawmakers Na Kyung-won and Oh Shin-hwan are mentioned as candidates, but their support rates are 9.7% and 4.1%, respectively, showing a significant gap. Former lawmaker Oh said in a phone call, "Mayor Oh has only been in office for one year, so it seems there are no special contenders within the party," adding, "I am observing the situation."

This survey was conducted by Realmeter on behalf of Asia Economy over two days, the 4th and 5th, attempting calls to 80,938 voters aged 18 and over residing in Seoul, with a final 1,015 respondents completing the survey, resulting in a response rate of 1.3%. The survey used an automated response method with 90% mobile and 10% landline calls, employing random digit dialing based on a randomly generated sampling frame. Statistical adjustments were made using the March 2022 Ministry of the Interior and Safety resident registration population statistics by gender, age group, and region with rim weighting. The sampling error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For detailed survey information, please refer to the Realmeter website or the Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.

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