[June 3 Election] Kim Daejung Leads... '31% Silent Votes' to Decide Superintendent Race

Kim Daejung Solidifies Lead at 31% as Lee Jungseon (17%) and Jang Gwanho (15%) Vigorously Pursue
Jeonnam Sees "Kim Daejung's Overwhelming Victory," Gwangju Faces a "Neck-and-Neck Contest" Reflecting Divergent Regional Sentiments
Jang Gwanho Surges Ahead of Lee Jungseon Among Voters in Their 50s

The historic first election for the Superintendent of Education of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Unified Metropolitan City is solidifying into a "one strong, two mid-tier" structure. Incumbent Jeonnam Superintendent Kim Daejung is leading by a margin outside the error range, but a massive bloc of undecided voters—accounting for 3 out of every 10 respondents—has been identified as the key variable that could shake up the final outcome.

According to a poll commissioned by News1 and conducted by Gallup Korea on May 16-17, surveying 1,002 men and women aged 18 or older residing in Gwangju and Jeonnam (with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level), candidate Kim Daejung secured a 31% approval rating, taking the top spot.

Next were candidate Lee Jungseon with 17%, candidate Jang Gwanho with 15%, and candidate Kang Sookyung with 6%. Notably, as many as 31% of respondents said they had "no preferred candidate" (11%) or "did not know/refused to answer" (20%), indicating a substantial undecided bloc.

(From left) Kim Daejung, Lee Jungseon, Jang Gwanho, Kang Sukyoung, candidates for Superintendent of Integrated Education in Gwangju, Jeonnam

‘Kim Daejung’ leads in Jeonnam, Gwangju is a ‘close race’... Regional public sentiment is sharply divided

Detailed data shows a clear difference in public sentiment by region.

Kim Daejung holds an overwhelming lead in the Jeonnam region, garnering 36% in the Eastern District (Suncheon, Yeosu, Gwangyang, etc.) and 40% in the Western District (Mokpo, Haenam, Wando, etc.), demonstrating both the advantages of incumbency and trust in his administration.

In contrast, the race in Gwangju is highly competitive. In District 2—which includes Gwangsan-gu and Seo-gu—candidate Lee Jungseon took the lead with 25%, overtaking Kim Daejung, who received 18%. In District 1 (Nam-gu, Dong-gu, Buk-gu), both candidates were tied at 25%, reflecting an intense psychological battle. Gwangju voters are interpreted as still deliberating and not yet inclined toward any particular candidate.

Support by age group is making the electoral landscape even more complex. Among the older generation (those in their 60s and above), Kim Daejung enjoys solid support at 39%. However, among younger voters in their 20s and 30s, his support drops to 21-22%, and nearly 25% responded "don't know/refused," revealing a clear sign of apathy toward educational elections among the younger generation.

The most noteworthy group is those in their 50s. In this age bracket, candidate Jang Gwanho secured 24% support, outpacing Lee Jungseon (17%) by a margin of 7 percentage points, which is outside the margin of error. As the undecided portion narrows in this middle-aged group, Jang is breaking into the mid-tier's support, signaling a fierce contest between the two mid-tier candidates for ranking.

Democratic Party base follows the ‘mainstream’... D-15, the 31% undecided bloc is the key variable

By political orientation, 35% of the Democratic Party (736 respondents) support candidate Kim Daejung, aligning with the overall trend. Lee Jungseon (17%) and Jang Gwanho (15%) follow. Although eight former progressive superintendents recently announced their support for Jang Gwanho, attempting to consolidate support within the progressive camp, this has not yet translated into a significant gain in overall popularity.

However, local political circles remain cautious in making any predictions with 15 days left until the election. With a massive 31% undecided bloc still remaining, the direction of their votes in the coming days will determine whether the frontrunner consolidates his lead or a dramatic upset occurs.

With the first-ever election for Superintendent of Education in the Gwangju-Jeonnam Unified Metropolitan City now underway, a fierce all-out campaign by candidates can be expected in the remaining two weeks.

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