Former Yeongam County Chief Jeon Dong-pyeong is maintaining a commanding lead in consecutive polls ahead of the June 3 local elections, widening the gap against competitors for the Democratic Party of Korea nomination.
Jeon has declared a "clean election" campaign while effectively waging war against negative attacks and smear campaigns targeting him. His support has continued to rise since the declaration, and analysts say he is dominating the race that has drawn attention as a rematch between the former and current county chiefs.
According to a survey commissioned by K-Journal and conducted by Korea Information Research from April 24-25 among 502 residents aged 18 and older in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province, Jeon led with 50.0%, followed by incumbent County Chief Woo Seung-hee at 37.2% and former South Jeolla Provincial Government Affairs Director Choi Young-yeol at 9.6%. The remaining respondents chose "other candidates" (0.8%), "none" (1.0%), or "don't know" (1.3%). The survey had a response rate of 26.5% and a margin of error of ±4.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
An earlier poll commissioned by Yeongam County Newspaper and conducted by Korea Information Research also showed Jeon leading with 49.6%, followed by Woo at 26.7%, Choi at 15.2%, and former South Jeolla Provincial Council member Lee Bo-ra-mi at 2.7%.
In a head-to-head matchup among Democratic Party candidates, Jeon led Woo by 21.4 percentage points, garnering 53.6% compared to Woo's 32.2%. This survey was conducted using 85% wireless virtual numbers and 15% landline RDD with automated response systems. The margin of error was ±3.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Detailed information on both polls is available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Committee website.
The consecutive poll results indicate Jeon holds a clear advantage over Woo despite the incumbent's inherent benefits of office, according to analysts.
Reflecting this momentum, more than 5,000 people attended Jeon's book launch event at Yeongam Indoor Gymnasium on April 21, reaffirming his personal character and political capabilities, observers said.
At the event, Jeon emphasized being a "person of Yeongam" with "love for Yeongam." His book, titled "Only Yeongam," outlined his direction and future vision for sustainable growth and community restoration.