Opposition presidential candidate Moon beats Park in poll

Opposition presidential candidate Moon Jae-in led ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye for the first time in a local poll released Tuesday.

In a survey by Real Meter, Moon's approval rating hit 47.1 percent, ahead of Park's 44 percent in a hypothetical head-to-head showdown. The poll was conducted on 1,500 voters between Monday and Tuesday, with a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

It marked the first time Moon, the candidate for the Democratic United Party (DUP), scored a higher approval rating than Park, the ruling Saenuri candidate, since Real Meter began its survey on presidential hopefuls in July.

Compared to the previous poll by Real Meter, Moon's approval rating rose 3.2 percentage points, while Park's number dropped 3.8 percentage points.

In a separate head-to-head matchup, Moon also edged Ahn Cheol-soo, the popular software magnate and university professor. Moon drew 44.9 percent in the scenario, while Ahn earned 32.3 percent.

Ahn is expected to announce his decision on whether to run for president on Wednesday.

In an imaginary three-horse race, Park came out on top over Moon and Ahn. Park, daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, had 38.6 percent, over Moon's 26.1 percent and Ahn's 22.5 percent.

Lee Taek-soo, head of Real Meter, said Moon appears to have garnered additional support over the weekend, after being named the DUP's candidate on Sunday.

"With more DUP supporters leaning toward Moon, Ahn appears to have lost some ground," Lee said.

Lee added that Park's failure to clearly state her position on historical issues from her father's presidency may have affected her approval rating.

"If she doesn't take care of the historical matters before the Chuseok holidays (at the end of this month), then she will likely remain behind (Moon)," Lee said. (Yonhap)