Former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak is the frontrunner as next president with a 25.1 percent support rating, the latest opinion poll by the Chosun Ilbo and Gallop Korea suggests. Former Grand National Party leader Park Geun-hye came second with 20.5 percent followed by former prime minister Goh Kun with 18.9 percent, former Gyeonggi governor Sohn Hak-kyu with 3.9 percent, and former Uri Party leader Chung Dong-young 3.4 percent. Democratic Labor Party lawmaker Kwon Young-ghil was sixth with 1.6 percent, Uri Party leader Kim Geun-tae seventh with 1.5 percent and former justice minister Kang Geum-sil eighth with 1.3 percent.

From left: Former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak, former Grand National Party leader Park Geun-hye, former prime minister Goh Kun and former Gyeonggi governor Sohn Hak-kyu

The poll about 26 possible presidential candidates was conducted by phone among 1,636 adult men and women across the country over three days from Sept. 28.

Lee saw his support rating rise by 2.3 percentage points from the June poll, climbing from the third place to first. Goh, the moderate former PM, meanwhile, slipped from being the public's runaway favorite to the third place as his support rating plummeted 7.8 percentage points. Support for Park slipped 3.9 percentage points from three months ago but she maintained second place.

The poll also asked various questions about the public’s feelings toward presidential candidates ahead of next year’s election. Asked to pick the candidate they would like to sit down for a meal with, Lee also came first, followed by Park, Goh and Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, Sohn and Gang. Park lead in terms of recognition with 98 percent, followed by Rep. Chung Mong-joon, a son of Hyundai Group founder Chung Ju-young with 96.2 percent, Lee with 94.6 percent, Gang with 94.6 percent and Goh with 94.4 percent.

(englishnews@chosun.com )