Seoul: Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is currently leading his competitors by a significant margin in the race for the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), as revealed by a recent poll ahead of the national convention scheduled for next week.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Realmeter survey reported that 46.8 percent of respondents preferred Kim as the next party leader. He is followed by former DP leaders Jung Chung-rae and Song Young-gil, who garnered 35.2 percent and 6.5 percent support, respectively. Additionally, 11.5 percent of those surveyed either did not favor any of the candidates or remained undecided.

Among dues-paying party members, Kim's support increased to 51.8 percent, with Jung receiving 41.1 percent and Song 4.7 percent. Kim's lead was especially pronounced in the DP's stronghold of the southwestern Honam region, where he secured 57.7 percent support. Jung received 28.2 percent, while Song had 6.8 percent.

In Seoul, Kim and Jung were in a more competitive race, with Kim ahead at 39.9 percent to Jung's 34.5 percent. Song managed to secure 5.1 percent support in the capital.

The survey was conducted over two days, Sunday and Monday, with participation from 1,053 DP supporters and individuals without any party affiliation. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

The DP's national convention is set for Monday, where the new leader will be elected. The elected leader will be influential in overseeing candidate nominations for the upcoming parliamentary elections in April 2028.