Latest poll shows PPP mayoral candidate Oh taking a substantial lead

Politics

Published: 31 Mar. 2021, 17:13

Latest poll shows PPP mayoral candidate Oh taking a substantial lead

Oh Se-hoon, Seoul mayoral by-election candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, speaks during a discussion session hosted by the Kwanhun Club, an organization of journalists, on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s support rating ahead of next week’s Seoul mayoral by-election is nearly double that of his rival Park Young-sun’s score, a latest opinion poll showed Wednesday.

According to the Realmeter poll conducted over Monday and Tuesday, 55.8 percent of the respondents said they will vote for Oh of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) in the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election. Park, former startups minister of the Moon Jae-in administration and candidate of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), scored 32 percent.

Democratic Party candidate Park Young-sun, center, meets voters in a stumping event near Isu Subway Station of Dongjak District, southern Seoul. [YONHAP]

The poll also asked the voters whom they think will be the winner, and 62.1 percent responded that they think Oh will win, while 28.2 percent said Park will.

Oh’s support rating was higher than that of Park in all age groups. In the previous polls, Park used to score a higher rating than Oh among voters in their 40s, but she was defeated in the same demographic in this week’s survey.

According to the poll, 24.4 percent of voters in their 20s supported Park and 45.4 percent of them supported Oh. Among those in their 30s, Park scored 34.7 percent and Oh 50.2 percent. Among voters in their 40s, Park scored 44.2 percent and Oh 48.7 percent.

Among voters in their 50s, 39.2 percent said they support Park and 54.6 percent supported Oh. Among voters over 60, Park was backed by 22.7 percent and Oh 72.4 percent.

In ideological groups, voters who identified themselves as centrist largely supported Oh. Among the centrist voters, 25.8 percent said they support Park while 60.5 percent said they support Oh. Among the conservatives, 82.9 percent supported Oh, and among the liberals, 69.8 percent said they support Park.

Asked if there is a possibility that they will change their candidate of choice, 86.5 percent said they will support whom they have supported. Only 12.3 percent said there is a possibility of change.

According to the poll, 37.9 percent of the voters — the largest group — said the most important issue in the next week’s mayoral by-election is the stability of the real estate market. Another 26.2 percent said livelihood economy and 10.4 percent said a balanced development of Seoul’s southern and northern areas.

The poll had a 95-percent confidence level, and the margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points. More information on the poll is available on the Realmeter and the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission websites.

According to the National Election Commission, publicizing the outcome of a new poll will be banned starting Thursday till the end of the voting hours on April 7. The measure was intended to maintain the integrity of the election from any unfair poll outcomes.

Absentee voting will be allowed on Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. till 6 p.m. at designated polling stations around the city. On April 7, voting will take place from 6 a.m. till 8 p.m.

BY SER MYO-JA [ser.myoja@joongang.co.kr]