0
Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), walks after paying his respects at the gravesite of former President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village in South Gyeongsang Province, on May 23. / Source: Yonhap News

As recent polls show a narrowing gap between Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo, Democratic officials are attributing the shift to a sampling imbalance that overrepresents conservative voters.

At a press briefing held on May 23 at DPK headquarters in Yeouido, Chun Joon-ho, director of strategy for the central election committee, pointed to the latest Gallup survey. “More than 11% of respondents identified as conservative compared to progressive—levels similar to the skewed sample we saw in January,” Chun said.

He explained that Kim’s recent rise in the polls reflects a consolidation of the PPP’s base following his nomination. “Kim Moon-soo’s support has rebounded to match that of his party, while Lee Jae-myung continues to outperform the DPK in voter support,” Chun said. “Importantly, Lee maintains a clear lead among moderate voters.”

Chun added that Korea’s political landscape typically falls into a “51-49 structure,” and that the level of voter consolidation varies depending on the scale of the election. “In presidential races, support for candidates usually converges with party support,” he noted.

Kang Hoon-sik, director of the party’s general affairs office, acknowledged some complacency among the DPK’s support base early in the campaign. “Our initial lead may have led to a relaxation among supporters,” he said. “But Kim Moon-soo’s base has not recovered to the extent ours has.”

Kang also addressed the possibility of a unification between Kim and New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok. “Lee has said his name will appear on the ballot. We take that as a signal that unification is unlikely before May 25,” Kang said. “Still, there’s room for talks until the day before early voting begins.”