Kim Jaewon: "Hong Junpyo's Name Value is High... I Judge We Can Fully Catch Up in Polls"

"Explain sincerity to citizens and seek understanding, then opinions can quickly change"
"Hong, a case where public opinion is bad but polls are good"

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Jung-wan] Kim Jae-won, former Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, who declared his candidacy for Daegu mayor in the June local elections, said that he "judges it to be a situation where catching up is fully possible" regarding his lagging behind his intra-party competitor, Representative Hong Joon-pyo, in opinion polls.

Former Supreme Council member Kim appeared on TBS Radio's 'Shin Jang-sik's Shin Jang Open' on the 31st of last month and stated, "From now on, I will explain my sincerity well to the citizens and seek their understanding. I believe that if the perception that I am the right person for (Daegu mayor) spreads, the situation can soon be reversed."

Earlier, iNews24 Daegu-Gyeongbuk Reporting Headquarters commissioned Daily Research, a professional polling agency, to conduct a 'Daegu mayor candidate suitability' poll targeting 1,200 voters residing in Daegu Metropolitan City from the 24th to 25th of last month. Representative Hong recorded 43.1%, followed by former Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won at 19.0%, current Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin at 11.5%, and former Daegu Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs Hong Ui-rak of the Democratic Party at 7.5%.

Regarding the likelihood of winning, Representative Hong also led with 48.1%, former Supreme Council member Kim recorded 20.3%, and Mayor Kwon 11.7%. The margin of error for this survey is ±2.8 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.

Former Supreme Council member Kim commented on Representative Hong, saying, "Looking at what Representative Hong says in the city administration, his name value is quite high," and added, "Since he is someone everyone knows, in that respect, polling experts say his recognition is relatively high."

He further added, "Among ourselves, we say that (Representative Hong) has very bad public opinion but good poll results."

Former Supreme Council member Kim emphasized, "Daegu, once praised as the heart of conservatism, has a strong awareness of the problem that it has actually been neglected in economic and development projects due to a lack of interest from past administrations," and stated, "I believe that by working in harmony with President-elect Yoon Seok-youl, we can jointly promote various policies for regional development that Daegu citizens desire."