Here are the latest numbers from Realmeter:
- Lee Myung-bak 39.6% (up 0.3% from last week)
- Lee Hoi-chang 20.4% (down 0.6%)
- Chung Dong-young 16.6% ( up 4.8%)
- Moon Kook-hyun 8.7% (up 1.6%)
- Kwon Young-ghil 2.8% (no change)
- Rhee In-jae 1.6% (down 1.2%)
- Others/Undecided 10.3%
Things have settled down since Lee Hoi-chang’s entry shook up the race two weeks ago. Even Chung’s apparent surge is just a return the level of support he had when the older Lee first jumped into the race. But Chung has to be happy that the bleeding in his poll numbers has stopped.
Moon Kook-hyun is still creeping up and could be in double digits by next week.
Kwon Young-ghil was stuck at 2.8%, which I think is perhaps 2-4% less than his real level of support. Supporters of radical candidates tend to be more dedicated and come to the polls in higher numbers than those of other candidates. BTW, Kwon is polling four percent less than his Democratic Labor party.
The race will likely be decided this weekend, when candidate filling closes and the race officially begins. Under Korean law, a presidential candidate cannot be arrested for a crime unless he is caught red-handed (something I found out from a guest speaker at last Saturday’s RAK Thanksgiving dinner) so prosecutors will have until them to get the goods on Lee Myung-bak or call it case closed.
The big press conference by family of fraudster Kim Kyung-joon that was suppose to bring Lee down turned into a bust when they refused to share the good with the press.
The worst case scenario would be for the documents and questions of their authenticity to be stuck in limbo during the election period, which would leave voters having to decide the truth of the accusations based on whom they believe.
(You can skip the rest unless you are in the mood for a rant.)
Frankly, the whole timing of this business stinks. Kim was fighting extradition for three years and suddenly decides to come back just before the election period begins? These documents are waved in front of the press, but nobody is allowed to get a good look at them? Rather than a revelation of the truth, it looks like an intentional attempt to muddy the waters.
I certainly hope that “Chris” Kim Kyung-joon got a good deal for agreeing to come back to Korea, because I suspect he is going to go the way of Kim Dae-eop after the election is over.
BTW, I am not saying that Lee Myung-bak is not a crook. I have no idea if he is or not. What I am saying is that Kim Kyung-joon is a sleaze bag.
One Comment
Kwon became a candidate thanks to the support of the jucheist (or “independence,” jaju) faction of DLP, but there is a good chance that they won’t even support him in the end but turn to the most important anti-GNP candidate in accordance with DPRK instructions of forming a “Grand Anti-Conservative Alliance” (banbosudaeryeonhap 반보수대련합) against GNP.