Seoul: A three-way presidential race is intensifying as Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung's lead diminishes in the latest opinion polls, with People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo gaining ground. With the election just eight days away, opinion polls still place Lee in the lead, but the gap between Lee and Kim has narrowed. Meanwhile, Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party (NRP) has secured double-digit support.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a Realmeter survey released on Saturday showed support for the DP's Lee at 46.6 percent, with Kim at 37.6 percent, and the NRP's Lee at 10.4 percent. The survey had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. In comparison, a Realmeter survey from May 11, conducted a day before the official campaign began, showed Lee with 52.1 percent support against Kim's 31.1 percent, while the NRP's Lee had 6.3 percent.
The NRP's Lee, a former leader of the PPP, has stated he will not withdraw his candidacy until Election Day, though speculation about a possible merger with Kim persists. The focus is now on whether Kim and the NRP's Lee might merge their candidacies before early voting begins on Thursday.
The DP's Lee remains the campaign's front-runner as the election seeks to find a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted over a failed martial law bid. On Monday, Lee plans to revisit Gyeonggi Province, where he served as governor from 2018 to 2021, to win over swing voters in the greater Seoul area. This region, home to about half of the country's 52 million population, is a crucial battleground.
Lee's campaign day includes meetings with students at Ajou University in Suwon to discuss their challenges, unveiling policy pledges aimed at youth, and conducting rallies at Yeongdong Market in Suwon and Dankook University's Jukjeon campus in Yongin. He will conclude his day in Namyangju, east of Seoul.
Kim of the PPP will visit Samsung's Pyeongtaek Campus, developed during his governorship, to highlight his achievements. Before this, he will present his regional development pledges at the PPP's Cheonan office and campaign in Anseong and Pyeongtaek. His day will end with a rally in northern Seoul wards, targeting voters in Nowon, Dobong, and Gangbuk.