Conservative merger fails to boost support

Three conservative parties have formed a unified front to challenge the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in the upcoming general elections, but the latest survey shows their merger has not boosted public support.

The governing Democratic Party of Korea still takes the lead with 41.1 percent of support, according to a Realmeter poll Thursday, conducted between Monday and Wednesday, after the launch of the United Future Party,

The new party garnered support from 32.7 percent of respondents -- lower than the combined figure that two of the three parties involved in the merger scored the previous week. The now-defunct opposition Liberty Korea Party and minor New Conservative Party had a combined 35.9 percent at that time.

“It appears some conservative supporters are still reluctant to wholly embrace that merger, so they aren't coming on board yet,” an official at Realmeter said. Support for the liberal Justice Party was 4.2 percent, followed by the conservative Bareunmirae Party at 3.2 percent and People’s Party at 2.3 percent.

The poll was commissioned by Seoul-based traffic broadcaster TBS and has a 95 percent confidence level with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. It was conducted on 1,508 eligible voters nationwide.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)