Gender, generation gap on full display in exit poll showing entrenched differences
Published: 03 Jun. 2025, 23:19
![From left: Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo and Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/03/04f1790c-e861-4237-be0b-a141a8b57977.jpg)
From left: Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo and Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok [YONHAP]
Korea's 21st presidential election revealed stark generational and gender divides in voter preferences, according to an exit poll released Tuesday by the country’s three major broadcasters — KBS, MBC and SBS.
Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung led the field with 51.7 percent of the projected vote, significantly outpacing the People Power Party’s Kim Moon-soo, who polled at 39.3 percent. Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok trailed with 7.7 percent.
Under Korean election law, candidates who receive less than 10 percent of the vote are ineligible for public reimbursement of campaign expenses.
The poll showed that Lee Jae-myung performed strongly among voters in their 20s through 50s, while Kim Moon-soo gained the upper hand among older voters, particularly those aged 60 and above. The divide became even more pronounced along gender lines within the same age groups.
Among male voters in their 20s, Lee Jun-seok emerged as the surprise front-runner with 37.2 percent support, narrowly beating Kim at 36.9 percent. Lee Jae-myung placed third with 24 percent. However, among women in the same age bracket, Lee Jae-myung garnered 58.1 percent, followed by Kim with 25.3 percent and Lee Jun-seok with 10.3 percent.
Of voters in their 30s, 37.9 percent of men supported Lee Jae-myung, 34.5 percent Kim, and 25.8 percent Lee Jun-seok. Among women in that age bracket, Lee Jae-myung received 57.3 percent, Kim 31.2 percent and Lee Jun-seok 9.3 percent.
Support for Lee Jae-myung was most pronounced among voters in their 40s and 50s. Men in their 40s backed Lee at 72.8 percent compared to Kim’s 21 percent and Lee Jun-seok’s 5.3 percent. Among women in the same group, Lee received 72.6 percent, Kim 23.4 percent, and Lee Jun-seok 3 percent.
For those in their 50s, men supported Lee Jae-myung at a rate of 71.5 percent, with Kim at 24.2 percent and Lee Jun-seok at 3.2 percent. Among women, the results showed Lee Jae-myung at 68.1 percent, Kim at 27.6 percent and Lee Jun-seok at 3.3 percent.
Voters in their 60s were more evenly split. Among men, Lee Jae-myung was slightly ahead at 48.6 percent compared to Kim’s 47.7 percent. Women in the same age group favored Kim at 50 percent, while Lee garnered 47.5 percent.
Among those aged 70 and older, Kim held a commanding lead. Men in this cohort backed Kim with 65.8 percent to Lee’s 31.3 percent. Women over 70 showed similar preferences, with Kim at 62.6 percent and Lee at 36.2 percent. Lee Jun-seok received minimal support among senior voters.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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