[Integrated Superintendent] Kim Daejung Leads with 26.1%, Dominates Lee Jungseon by 13.4 Percentage Points

Jeonnam Strongly Backs Kim Daejung, While Gwangju Race Remains Uncertain

Jeong Seonghong at 9.5%, Kim Haeryong at 7.8% in Pursuit...

Undecided Voters at 22% Could Sway the Outcome

As discussions on the administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam accelerate, a suitability survey for the first superintendent of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City shows that Kim Daejung, the current Jeonnam Superintendent of Education, is firmly maintaining his lead.

In particular, the latest survey revealed that while Superintendent Kim continues to dominate, Lee Jungseon, the Gwangju Superintendent of Education, is mounting a pursuit. Meanwhile, candidates from civic society groups are closely competing for third place within the margin of error, forming a competitive middle-ranked group. Whether these candidates unite as a single candidate has emerged as a crucial variable that could determine the election outcome.

According to a public opinion poll commissioned by BBS Gwangju Buddhist Broadcasting and the Pressian Gwangju-Jeonnam News Bureau and conducted by the polling agency R&Search Co., Ltd. on February 25-26, targeting 1,023 men and women aged 18 or older residing in Gwangju and Jeonnam, Superintendent Kim Daejung received 26.1% support, ranking first overall.

Superintendent Lee Jungseon recorded 12.7%, placing second, but the gap with the leading Superintendent Kim widened to 13.4 percentage points, which is outside the margin of error. Analysts point out that the advantages of incumbency and organizational strength are concentrating support for Superintendent Kim, particularly in the Jeonnam region.

What stands out is the fierce competition among the mid-tier candidates following the current superintendents. Jeong Seonghong, the Gwangju Citizens’ Coalition's nominee for Gwangju Superintendent, garnered 9.5%, while Kim Haeryong, the nominee for Democratic Superintendent from the Gwangju-Jeonnam Educational and Social Civic Coalition, received 7.8%. Kang Sukyoung, former superintendent at the Jeonnam Office of Education, followed with 7.4%, and Jang Kwanho, former Jeonnam branch chief of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, had 7.2%.

These third to sixth place candidates are all clustered within the 7-9% range, fiercely contending for ranking. Since no single candidate in the broader progressive camp is showing overwhelming support, if a "united ruling party candidate" emerges, where these votes shift is expected to be a key factor in determining the winner.

Other candidates accounted for 7.0%, and a significant number of voters remained undecided. The proportion of those answering "no suitable candidate" (11.9%) and "don’t know" (10.3%) combined for an undecided bloc of 22.2%. This figure exceeds the gap between first and second place, suggesting that this bloc could shift significantly as the integration issue gains prominence.

Voter sentiment differed noticeably by region. In Jeonnam, Superintendent Kim Daejung held a commanding lead with 35.2%, while Superintendent Lee Jungseon trailed at 8.5%. In Gwangju, Superintendent Lee Jungseon led with 18.2%, but Superintendent Kim Daejung was close behind at 14.2%, making the race highly competitive within the margin of error.

By age group, Superintendent Kim Daejung enjoyed strong support among voters aged 60 and over. However, among young voters aged 18-29, the proportion of undecided voters was relatively high, highlighting differing levels of interest in the integrated superintendent depending on the generation.

This survey is consistent with the trends identified in previous polls conducted by Mokpo MBC (February 10-11), Gwangju Ilbo–Realmeter (January 30-31), and OhmyNews–Metavoice (January 16-17). In all four surveys, Superintendent Kim Daejung has maintained his lead with support rates in the 20% range.

A local education official commented, "The first integrated superintendent will symbolize the leadership of united Gwangju and Jeonnam. While Superintendent Kim Daejung is currently in the lead, the outcome could shift at any time depending on whether the mid-tier candidates unite and where the votes from the more than 20% undecided bloc end up."

Meanwhile, this survey was conducted entirely through an automated response (ARS) system using 100% wireless virtual numbers. The sampling error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and the response rate was 7.2%. For further details, refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

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