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S.Korean main opposition party takes lead in public support following presidential scandal

Xinhua, February 7, 2017 Adjust font size:

South Korea's main opposition party took the lead in public support by a wide margin as voters turned their back on conservative politicians following a corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

According to a survey released on Tuesday, the biggest opposition Minjoo Party garnered 43.0 percent in support scores, beating rival parties by a wide margin. It surged from 36.3 percent tallied in late December.

The result is based on the poll of 2,016 voters conducted by local pollster Korea Research Center from Sunday to Monday at the joint request of Yonhap news agency and broadcaster KBS. It has 2.2 percentage points in margin of error.

The ruling Saenuri Party ranked second, but its approval rating stood merely at 12.5 percent. It was trailed by the People's Party, which splintered away from the Minjoo Party about a year ago, with 8.9 percent in approval scores and the Righteous Party breaking away last month from the Saenuri Party with 7.0 percent.

The Minjoo Party ranked first among voters in their 20s to 50s, but those aged 60 or higher still most supported the Saenuri Party with 25.6 percent in approval rating. The Saenuri Party logged the single digits in support from those in their 20s to 40s.

Support for conservative politicians sank since the influence-peddling scandal surrounding President Park and her decades-long friend Choi Soon-sil emerged in October last year.

The constitutional court is deliberating on whether to permanently end Park's presidency or reinstate her, and the final ruling is widely expected to be delivered in late February or early March.

A presidential election must be held in 60 days after the permanent removal of the impeached president. Enditem