By Shim Jae-yun
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon continues to maintain an overwhelming lead as a potential candidate for the 2017 presidential election according to recent polls, outpacing major figures in the ruling and opposition parties.
Given this, whether Ban will join the race or not will likely be the most significant factor to decide the nation's 19th presidential poll.
Another survey regarding the envisioned electoral system realignment shows most people agree that this is necessary.
Ban registered support of 38.7 percent as the most preferred presidential candidate according to the Seoul Shinmun. Ace Research polled 1,100 adults across the country from Dec. 26 to 28 for the newspaper.
Rep. Moon Jae-in of the opposition New Party for Alliance and Democracy (NPAD) came second with 9.8 percent, followed by Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon with 7.4 percent and Kim Moon-soo, who is in charge of ringing in the changes at the ruling Saenuri Party, with 4.2 percent.
Former NPAD leader Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo achieved 3.8 percent.
In a hypothetical race with Ban excluded, Park topped the list at 13.9 percent, ahead of Moon and Kim with 13.1 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively.
They were followed by Kim Moon-soo with 7.9 percent, Ahn Cheol-soo with 6.6 percent and Chung Mong-joon, former chairman of the Grand National Party (now the Saenuri Party) with 4.4 percent.
The change in rankings shows that Ban's absence would benefit the Seoul Mayor in the opposition camp and Kim Moo-sung in the ruling camp.
The survey was conducted via telephone interviews and smartphone applications with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.08 percentage points.
Local daily Kyunghyang Shinmum and Hankook Research also conducted a survey of 1,000 people aged above 19 on Dec. 27 and 28.The poll also showed Ban as a leading candidate with 24.4 percent.
Park was second with 12 percent, ahead of Moon with 10.6 percent and Kim Moon-soo with 5.7 percent. Ahn and the Saenuri chairman posted 5.3 percent and 4.4 percent each.
The Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, and the Korean Association of Party Studies released the results of a survey on the feasibility of revising the Constitution. A total of 57.7 percent of respondents acknowledged the need for this, while 42.3 percent disapproved.
They poll, conducted by JowonCNI, showed 43.2 percent agreed with the constitution being amended under the Park Geun-hye government, while 30.9 percent said it should be made under the next government.
As to the most desirable power system through the constitutional revision, 45.4 percent preferred the four-year double term presidential system, while 22.1 percent cited the current single-term presidential system.
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Ban Ki-moon |
Given this, whether Ban will join the race or not will likely be the most significant factor to decide the nation's 19th presidential poll.
Another survey regarding the envisioned electoral system realignment shows most people agree that this is necessary.
Ban registered support of 38.7 percent as the most preferred presidential candidate according to the Seoul Shinmun. Ace Research polled 1,100 adults across the country from Dec. 26 to 28 for the newspaper.
Rep. Moon Jae-in of the opposition New Party for Alliance and Democracy (NPAD) came second with 9.8 percent, followed by Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon with 7.4 percent and Kim Moon-soo, who is in charge of ringing in the changes at the ruling Saenuri Party, with 4.2 percent.
Former NPAD leader Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo achieved 3.8 percent.
In a hypothetical race with Ban excluded, Park topped the list at 13.9 percent, ahead of Moon and Kim with 13.1 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively.
They were followed by Kim Moon-soo with 7.9 percent, Ahn Cheol-soo with 6.6 percent and Chung Mong-joon, former chairman of the Grand National Party (now the Saenuri Party) with 4.4 percent.
The change in rankings shows that Ban's absence would benefit the Seoul Mayor in the opposition camp and Kim Moo-sung in the ruling camp.
The survey was conducted via telephone interviews and smartphone applications with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.08 percentage points.
Local daily Kyunghyang Shinmum and Hankook Research also conducted a survey of 1,000 people aged above 19 on Dec. 27 and 28.The poll also showed Ban as a leading candidate with 24.4 percent.
Park was second with 12 percent, ahead of Moon with 10.6 percent and Kim Moon-soo with 5.7 percent. Ahn and the Saenuri chairman posted 5.3 percent and 4.4 percent each.
The Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, and the Korean Association of Party Studies released the results of a survey on the feasibility of revising the Constitution. A total of 57.7 percent of respondents acknowledged the need for this, while 42.3 percent disapproved.
They poll, conducted by JowonCNI, showed 43.2 percent agreed with the constitution being amended under the Park Geun-hye government, while 30.9 percent said it should be made under the next government.
As to the most desirable power system through the constitutional revision, 45.4 percent preferred the four-year double term presidential system, while 22.1 percent cited the current single-term presidential system.
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