Rep. Moon Jae-in, the leading presidential contender of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), beat entrepreneur-turned-professor Ahn Cheol-soo for the first time in a hypothetical two-way race for a single opposition candidate ahead of December's presidential election, polls showed Tuesday.
Moon has led the DUP's ongoing primary with 10 wins in 10 regional races conducted so far and 50.4 percent of all votes cast. Ahn has not yet declared a bid for president, but he is widely regarded as a potential opposition contender who could pose a serious challenge to the ruling party's presidential candidate, Park Geun-hye.
Moon's approval rating stood at 39.5 percent in a survey of 1,500 people last Friday and Monday, while Ahn fell behind with 37.1 percent, according to polling agency Realmeter.
It is the first time the former chief of staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun has beaten the founder of anti-virus software firm AhnLab, although Ahn was still ahead of Moon in a hypothetical multi-way race, with 22.7 percent against 18.9 percent, said the polling agency.
"Moon has consolidated his standing as the DUP's presidential candidate through his 10 consecutive primary victories and this appears to have had an influence (on the polls)," said Lee Taek-soo, the director of Realmeter.
Lee also said Ahn's popularity may have dropped among ruling party supporters after a lawyer with close ties to the professor accused a ruling party official last week of threatening to blackmail Ahn if he runs for president.
"In the current circumstances, if Ahn doesn't quickly announce a bid for president, he could be overtaken even in a multi-way race," Lee said. "There will be more gains than losses for Ahn if he declares his bid before the DUP nominates its presidential candidate."
The DUP is scheduled to pick its standard-bearer on Sunday after conducting three more regional primaries. However, if none of the party's four contenders wins 50 percent or more of all votes cast, it will hold a run-off one week later.
Ahn, who currently serves as dean of the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University, has a strong following especially among young Koreans, due largely to his clean and upright image. (Yonhap)