By Lee Jin-woo
Staff Reporter


Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak topped a list of presidential hopefuls in a recent survey for the first time, overtaking former Prime Minister Goh Kun.



According to a survey conducted by Sisa Journal, a weekly news magazine, Mayor Lee, former CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, topped the list with 27.9 percent of the public support, followed by Goh with 19.3 percent. Goh had taken top places in several previous surveys.
The survey included 1,000 experts in 10 different fields including politics, business, art and academic circles as well as civic groups in Korea on Oct. 4-6.

Political sources said the restoration of the Chonggyechon stream in Seoul on Oct. 1 has greatly contributed to the surging popularity of the mayor, who belongs to the largest opposition Grand National Party (GNP).

The stream, which had been covered under a dilapidated highway for about half a century, has attracted millions of visitors since the completion of its three-year restoration work.

Mayor Lee has also pushed ahead with his ambitious redevelopment projects on rundown residential districts in the city, called ``new town projects’’ which have gained a lot of support from residents in less developed areas. Some fifteen districts have been designated as ``new town districts’’ and another 11 districts have been nominated for the project, waiting for approval from their residents.

Earlier this year, however, Lee faced challenges when one of his close aides, Yang Yoon-jae, vice mayor of Seoul, was arrested on charges of taking bribes from real estate developers in return for lifting a height restriction on certain construction projects along the restored stream.

According to the survey, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and Minister of Health and Welfare Kim Geun-tae, two promising presidential hopefuls of the ruling Uri Party, shared third place with 6.4 percent. Park Geun-hye, chairwoman of the GNP, ranked fifth with 6.1 percent, followed by Governor Sohn Hak-kyu of Kyonggi Province, also of the GNP, with 1.8 percent.

In the same magazine’s survey last year, Unification Minister Chung came in first with 42.1 percent, followed by GNP chairwoman Park with 39.7 percent and Mayor Lee with 27.7 percent. Minister of Health and Welfare Kim ranked fourth with 23.1 percent and Goh ranked fifth with 13.4 percent.

However, in another survey of ordinary citizens by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KOSI) on Sept. 29, Goh topped the list again with 27.9 percent, followed by Mayor Lee with 20.3 percent. Park, the eldest daughter of late President Park Chung-hee, placed third with 15.9 percent.

things@koreatimes.co.kr