Superintendent Kim Daejung Leads the Race... Tops Jeonnam Education Chief Poll

Kim Daejung Secures 32.6% Support with Even Backing Across All Regions
Kim Haeryong and Moon Seungtae Stand Out in the East
Jang Gwanho Gains Ground in the Southwest

In a recent public opinion poll conducted ahead of the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June next year, incumbent Superintendent Kim Daejung recorded the highest suitability rating for Superintendent of Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education, with a support rate exceeding 30%.

According to a poll jointly commissioned by cpbc Gwangju Catholic Peace Broadcasting and Jeonnam Maeil to Korea Information Research, 1,001 men and women aged 18 or older residing in Jeonnam Province were surveyed over two days, from September 28 to 29. Superintendent Kim Daejung ranked first in suitability for Superintendent of Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education, recording 32.6%.

Sookyoung Kang, former superintendent of Jeonnam Office of Education, Daejung Kim, former superintendent of Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education, Haeryong Kim, director of Yeosu Education Support Office, Seungtae Moon, vice president for external cooperation at Suncheon National University, Jangwanho, former head of Jeonnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union. (From left to right in alphabetical order)

He was followed by Jang Gwanho, former Head of the Jeonnam Branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, with 9.9%; Kim Haeryong, former Director of Yeosu Education Support Office, with 8.4%; Kang Sukyoung, former Superintendent of Jeonnam Office of Education, with 7.9%; and Moon Seungtae, Vice President for External Cooperation at Suncheon National University, with 7.8%.

However, as responses indicating "no suitable candidate" or "don't know" exceeded 30%, the votes of undecided respondents have emerged as a key variable. Specifically, 15.1% answered "no suitable candidate," and 18.3% responded "don't know," meaning more than one-third of respondents (33.4%) did not reveal a preferred candidate. This is expected to significantly impact the flow of support once the official campaign begins.

By age group and region, Superintendent Kim was found to have evenly received support in the 30-40% range across all regions and age brackets. In particular, in the eastern region, Kim Haeryong, former Director, recorded 13.7%, and Moon Seungtae, Vice President, recorded 12.4%, drawing attention as candidates with strong local bases. Jang Gwanho, former Head, received double-digit support in the southwestern (11.0%) and southern (10.5%) regions.

With Superintendent Kim Daejung effectively leading the race, attention is already focusing on what policies and visions other candidates will present to challenge his dominance as the official campaign unfolds.

Superintendent Kim's administrative performance was also evaluated relatively positively. Positive assessments of his work reached 55.4%, surpassing the majority, while negative assessments stood at 22.2%. Notably, among those aged 70 or older, the positive response rate was the highest at 64.9%, confirming a stable support base.

This survey was conducted using an automated response (ARS) method with 91% wireless virtual numbers and 9% landline RDD. The response rate was 6.6% for wireless and 0.2% for landline. The sampling error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

The sample was adjusted using gender, age, and regional weighting based on the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's resident registration population as of the end of August 2025. Further details can be found on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

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