Poll Shows GNP Candidates Are Trailing

A sense of crisis is spreading in the Grand National Party (GNP) as its candidates are trailing other candidates in the latest poll for the April 25 re-elections and by-elections.

The GNP’s defeat will hit hard as former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak and former representative Park Geun-hye, its candidates for the presidential election, as well as the party leadership, are doing their best to support the GNP’s candidates.

On April 19, a GNP official said on the phone, “According to a poll by the GNP Research Center in Yeouido, for the by-election of Daejeon Seo district, GNP candidate Lee Jae-seon is trailing the People First Party candidate Sim Dae-pyeong by more than the margin of error. In other areas, GNP candidates are behind independent candidates within the margin of error.”

Another official said, “In Daejeon and Seoul, where the party leadership is all-in for the elections, public opinion is, ‘we like GNP but will vote for Sim for his personality.’ It will not be easy to turn it around.”

Sim and his supporters are confident of winning the election, saying, “We are ahead by more than 10% point. The game is over.”

In the election for the Yangcheon District head, GNP candidate Oh Gyeong-hoon is behind independent candidate Chu Jae-yeop by 5% point.

Some point out that the GNP’s nomination of Wu Jong-cheol, who is close to GNP chairman Kang Jae-seop, instead of a candidate recommended by GNP North Gyeongsang Province chairman Kim Gwang-won, made party members turn their backs in the election for the Bonghwa county headman.

The GNP is being criticized for “being too confident of its high support rate and making a careless nomination.”

On the other hand, Lee and Park showed up to support Kang Seong-mahn, GNP candidate for the by-election in Muan-Shinan, South Jeolla Province.

30 minutes after Lee left after making his support speech on the Kang campaign vehicle at the marketplace of Muan-eup, Park also campaigned for Kang at the same place.

Democratic Party candidate Kim Hong-eop was campaigning at a nearby place. Park shook hands with Kim on her way out.

Former agriculture and forestry minister Kim Young-jin and DP lawmakers Lee Nak-yeon and Lee Sang-ryeol made support speeches for Kim.

From the campaign vehicle for independent candidate Lee Jae-hyeon, there was even rough criticism of Kim, saying, “After being released from prison with bribes, Kim, who was not born and did not grow up here, is asking, ‘vote for me since I am DJ’s son.’”

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