Ex-PM Kim leads former DP leaders in party leadership race: poll

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is currently leading the ruling Democratic Party's (DP) race for the next party leader, according to a recent poll. The Realmeter survey, which surveyed 1,053 DP supporters and non-party members, found that 46.8% of respondents favored Kim for the position, with former DP leaders Jung Chung-rae and Song Young-gil trailing at 35.2% and 6.5%, respectively.

An additional 11.5% of respondents were undecided or had no preference for the candidates. Kim also led among dues-paying party members, with 51.8% of these members supporting him, compared to 41.1% for Jung and 4.7% for Song. His lead was particularly strong in the DP's traditional southwestern Honam region, where he received 57.7% support, while Jung and Song received 28.2% and 6.8%, respectively.

In Seoul, Kim's lead was more competitive, with 39.9% of respondents supporting him, while Jung trailed with 34.5% and Song at 5.1%. The poll, conducted over the weekend, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The DP will hold its national convention on Monday to elect a new leader, a role that will be pivotal in the nomination of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections in April 2028.