By Kim Hyo-jin
Heading into the April 13 general election, rival parties are struggling to garner support from their respective political strongholds, according to recent public polls.
The ruling Saenuri Party’s candidates are facing tough challenges from independent rivals in North and South Gyeongsang Provinces, Daegu and Busan, where it nearly swept the constituencies in the 2012 election, winning 63 of the combined 67 parliamentary seats.
Things are not much different for the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) ― a long-time dominant presence in North and South Jeolla Provinces and Gwangju ― which is now in danger of losing its hegemony to the minor opposition People’s Party.
Originally, the ruling party set its sights on winning 63 to 64 out of 65 seats up for grabs on its home turf but the polls show its candidates are struggling in 16 districts.
In Daegu, President Park Geun-hye’s political stronghold, independent candidates, most of whom quit the ruling party in protest at the party’s nominations, are leading the races.
Rep. Joo Ho-young, a former minister under the Lee Myung-bak government who quit after denouncing the nominations as “political revenge” by loyalists to Park Geun-hye, is leading Saenuri candidate Lee In-sun by nearly double the percentage points, holding 40 percent to 22.9 percent, according to a March 28 poll by the Chosun Ilbo.
Rep. Yoo Sung-kull, another Saenuri lawmaker-turned-independent candidate, is also leading former Home Affairs Minister Chong Jong-sup, a Saenuri candidate, by a slight margin ― 38.4 percent to 37.7 percent ― a March 30 poll conducted by the Hankook Ilbo showed.
It is also worth noting that candidates from the opposition bloc are maintaining a lead over their ruling party rivals and they are MPK candidate Rep. Kim Boo-kyum and former lawmaker Hong Ui-rak, who quit the MPK after being expelled from the nomination.
Observers say that should the ruling party lose some parliamentary seats in the region, it will be a heavy blow to the party’s dominance there, adversely affecting President Park during the remainder of her term.
In the Honam region, voters are split between the two opposition parties.
The MPK is fighting a rough battle in 13 out of 28 districts, according to the recent polls. Of 13 districts, candidates of the People’s Party are holding a lead in six contests while those of the MPK are leading in only four.
It is a significant setback for the main opposition party, compared with the previous election, where the Democratic United Party, MPK’s precursor, won a sweeping victory with 25 out of 30 seats in the region.
Rep. Chun Jung-bae, co-chairman of the People’s Party, maintains a significant lead over MPK’s Yang Hyang-ja, an ex-Samsung executive, 39.5 percent to 24.1 percent, in a March 21 poll conducted by Joongang Ilbo.
Reps. Joo Seung-yong and Hwang Ju-hong are also in the lead, with over a 10-percentage-point gap to MPK candidates, according to a March 29 poll by local broadcast company MBC.
The People’s Party, buoyed by the polls, set a goal of securing over 20 seats in the Jeolla region. The MPK, however, voices optimism of winning 15 to 20 seats, because a surge in support is expected in the final stage of campaigning.
“The sentiment in favor of the main opposition party will spread further among voters as they are getting concerned about the ruling party remaining in power due to the split of votes,” said Lee Yong-sup, the director of MPK’s pledge-making group.