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According to a survey of over 1,500 adults conducted last week by pollster Realmeter and released on Monday, 48.8 percent expressed support for Lee as the most suitable presidential candidate.
Former Employment and Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, who declared his bid last week, came in a distance second with 10.9 percent, down 5.4 percentage points from the previous week.
The former labor activist-turned-politician, who gained sudden popularity among hardline conservatives during Yoon's impeachment trial over his botched martial law debacle late last year, joined an increasingly heated race to select a candidate for the ruling People Power Party (PPP), which has no clear favorite despite a flurry of hopefuls including former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and former party leader Han Dong-hoon.
Despite uncertainty over whether he will run for president, Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo made his first appearance in the survey, garnering 8.6 percent support, probably backed by his recent response to U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff threats.
Next was Han Dong-hoon (6.2 percent), the estranged former aide to Yoon, followed by Hong (5.2 percent), who is set to declare his bid later in the day, and Lee Jun-seok, leader of the splinter conservative New Reform Party (3 percent), who turned 40 last month, making him eligible for the presidency.
Meanwhile, nearly half of the respondents or 46.7 percent said they support the DP, while around 33.1 percent opted for the PPP.
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