Anchor: With less than three weeks to go until the April 10 general elections, KBS released the results of its latest survey, which indicate a tight race between the ruling and main opposition parties. KBS has so far conducted four public surveys since February and the latest poll showed a slight rise in the number of respondents who opted for the main opposition Democratic Party(DP), while the ruling People Power Party(PPP) saw a slight decline in its support. In a separate KBS poll, DP Chair Lee Jae-myung, who is seeking to retain his parliamentary seat in the Gyeyang B district in Incheon, is still ahead of his contender from the PPP, Won Hee-ryong.
Yun Sohyang has more.

Report: In the most recent survey from KBS, when people were asked which party’s candidate they intend to vote for in their district, 36 percent chose the Democratic Party(DP), while 32 percent selected the People Power Party(PPP) and 19 percent remained undecided.

In the three previous surveys, the DP’s rating was on a decline, dropping from 34 to 33 percent, and then to 32 percent before recovering by 4 percentage points in this latest poll.

When asked which party respondents expected to win the majority of seats, 39 percent chose the DP, showing a rebound in the downward trend. In contrast, the figure for the PPP slipped by nine percentage points to 28 percent after showing an upward trend for the three previous surveys. 

The controversy over the appointment of Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup and the recent resignation of presidential aide Hwang Sang-moo appears to have contributed to the fall in the PPP’s figure. 

Regarding the government's management of state affairs, 33 percent of the respondents gave a positive assessment, while 63 percent held a negative view. 

The nationwide poll commissioned by KBS and conducted by Hankook Research on 3000 respondents aged over 18 from Sunday to Tuesday, has a 95 percent confidence level with a margin of error of plus or minus one-point-eight percentage points.

Meanwhile, in a separate poll, DP leader Lee Jae-myung was found to be ahead of former land minister Won Hee-ryong in Incheon's Gyeyang B district, with 52 percent of respondents supporting Lee and 35 percent choosing Won.

The poll for the Gyeyang B district, commissioned by KBS, was conducted by Hankook Research of 500 respondents from the Gyeyang B constituency. The three-day survey conducted from Monday to Wednesday has a confidence level of 95 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus four-point-four percentage points.
Yun Sohyang, KBS World Radio News.