elect Kim Kyung-joon Is More Reliable Than Lee Myung-bak
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
Voters are putting more confidence in remarks of alleged con artist Kim Kyung-joon than in those of presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak, who is on suspicion of conspiring stock price manipulation with Kim.
According to a survey conducted by the RealMeter on 500 voters nationwide, 39.3 percent of them said they trust explanations by Kim and his family, while 33.3 percent support those of Lee of the Grand National Party (GNP).
Lee's former investment associate Kim, who fled to the United States after supposedly embezzling 38 billion won, is being questioned here on Lee's involvement in the stock fraud Kim allegedly committed.
About 86 percent of the surveyed supporters of the progressive Democratic Labor Party (DLP) say Kim's argument is more credible. The percentage picking Kim is also higher among supporters of the Democratic Party (DP), 65.1 percent, and the United New Democratic Party (UNDP), 60.6 percent.
Of supporters of the conservative GNP, some 51.4 percent of those surveyed said the former Seoul mayor Lee's explanations were more reliable.
By region, more respondents picked Kim ― North Jeolla Province (88.8 percent), Daejeon-Chungcheong (59 percent), and Gwangju-South Jeolla (43.6 percent).
In Daegu-North Gyeongsang, Seoul, and Busan-South Gyeongsang - 62.6, 41.6 and 39.5 percent, took Lee's side respectively.
While those aged 50 or more picked Lee, respondents in their 40s, 30s and 20s selected Kim.
About 31 percent of the 500 respondents predicted that the allegations of Lee's involvement in the financial irregularities will not be linked to the prosecution's indictment due to lack of evidence.
One in four or 25.6 percent anticipated indictment of Lee and 23.4 percent said he will be given a verdict of ``not guilty.''
The survey was conducted last Wednesday on men and women aged 19 or older and the margin of error was set at plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.