The Gap Between Jung Won-oh and Oh Se-hoon Narrows... Democratic Party Promises Full Support vs. Oh's Appeal Press Conference

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\r\n[Financial News] The gap in approval ratings between Jung Won-oh of the Democratic Party of Korea and Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayoral candidates, is narrowing to within the margin of error. In response, the Democratic Party said it is preparing full-scale support to maintain its lead. Oh is trying to build on the momentum of his comeback by holding a press conference to appeal to voters.
According to a poll released on the 14th by CBS and conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI), Jung's approval rating stood at 44.9%, compared with Oh's 39.8%, putting the gap within the margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. That marks a sharp contrast with last month's survey, which showed a gap of more than 10 percentage points outside the margin of error.
Kang Jun-hyun, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, told reporters at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea on the day, "The party is concerned that the gap in support for the Seoul mayoral race has narrowed to within the margin of error," adding, "As conservative voters consolidate, progressive voters will also rally, and the Gangnam 4 District Special Committee requested by Jung will release its findings within days." He added, "We will provide the fullest possible support in policy, institutional, and legal terms."
Riding an upward trend, Oh held a press conference to appeal to voters on the same day. He warned, "Whenever election season comes around, they promise to ease redevelopment and reconstruction regulations, but once the election is over, they tighten regulations to block supply, raise loan barriers to take away the dream of owning a home, and hit citizens' wallets with tax bombs."
He also highlighted what he described as Jung's strong reliance on the halo effect of President Lee Jae-myung, saying, "How can we entrust the lives of Seoul citizens to a candidate who hides behind the president, watches the political winds, and blindly obeys power?" He added, "A 'yes-man mayor' can never solve citizens' suffering." He also criticized Jung's pledge the previous day to temporarily reduce property taxes for single-home owners, saying, "Policies driven by President Lee Jae-myung's tax agenda are just stopgap measures. The only fundamental solution is supply."
The cited survey was conducted on the 12th and 13th using an automated wireless ARS response system among 1,002 Seoul residents. The response rate was 5.3%. For more details, refer to the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.
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uknow@fnnews.com Kim Yun-ho Reporter