In a recent poll on the suitability of opposition presidential candidates, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon recorded the highest response rate at 20.0%. However, the response indicating that 'there is no suitable candidate' was 37.3%, surpassing Oh's figure by 17.3 percentage points.
The survey, conducted by Korea Information Research (KIR) and released by Cheonji Ilbo on November 5, showed that Han Dong-hoon, a member of the National Assembly, received 15.5%, followed by Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, at 12.7%, Lee Jin-sook at 7.1%, and Joo Jin-woo at 2.8%. The option for 'other candidates or unknown' accounted for 4.6%. The gap between Oh and Han is 4.5 percentage points.
Notably, Joo Jin-woo, a member of the People Power Party representing Busan's Haeundae-gap, was included in the presidential candidate suitability rankings with a score of 2.8%. In a similar survey conducted by the same organization in September, Kim Tae-kyu was listed as a candidate, but this time Joo's name appeared.
Joo's inclusion in the nationwide presidential candidate suitability survey is noteworthy, especially as he has been actively criticizing the government during recent national audits.
However, the 37.3% response indicating 'there is no suitable candidate' reflects the views of the entire adult population surveyed, and cannot be interpreted solely as the opinion of the opposition supporters. Candidate suitability also differs from actual voting intentions.
This survey was conducted from November 2 to 3, targeting 1,001 adults aged 18 and older through random digit dialing (RDD) and automated response system (ARS) methods. The response rate was 3.7%, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
The survey applied cell weighting based on gender, age, and region according to the resident registration population as of the end of October 2026. Detailed information can be found on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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