Yoon Boosts Polling Lead Amid North Korea Missile Launches

Conservative People Power Party (PPP) nominee Yoon Seok-youl retains a lead over his liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-Myung in polling ahead of the 9 March presidential election.

• Realmeter poll: Preferred candidate for March 2022 presidential election: Yoon Seok-youl (PPP): 40.6% (+6.5), Lee Jae-myung (DPK): 36.7% (-3.4). +/- vs. 2-7 January 2022. Fieldwork: 9-14 January 2022. Sample size: 3,031
• Yoon's lead is extended further in the hypothetical scenario in which he runs as a pan-opposition candidate with the support of the centrist People Party and its nominee Ahn Cheol-soo. Polling also shows Ahn with more support than Lee in the event he ran with the support of the PPP.
• Realmeter poll: Hypothetical presidential poll: Yoon Seok-youl as the Pan-Opposition candidate: Yoon Seok-youl (PPP): 45.2%, Lee Jae-myung (DPK): 37%. Fieldwork: 9-14 January 2022. Sample size: 3,031
• Realmeter poll: Hypothetical presidential poll: Ahn Cheol-soo as the Pan-Opposition candidate: Ahn Cheol-soo (PP,): 42.2%, Lee Jae-myung (DPK): 34.3%. Fieldwork: 9-14 January 2022. Sample size: 3,031
• The election comes amidst a heightening of tensions on the Korean peninsula following a number of missile launches by the North Korean regime. Actions such as this from Pyongyang often have the impact of boosting support for more hardline conservative candidates, with the impact already being seen in rising support for Yoon.