Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung remains the front-runner in South Korea’s June 3 presidential race, but his support has dipped below 50% for the first time in weeks, according to a new Realmeter poll. In a three-way virtual matchup, Lee secured 46.5% support, followed by independent candidate Han Duck-soo at 34.3% and New Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok at 5.9%. In a separate scenario featuring People Power Party (PPP) nominee Kim Moon-soo, Lee led with 46.6%, ahead of Kim at 27.8% and Lee Jun-seok at 7.5%.

Support for a change in government declined 5.3 percentage points to 51.5%, while support for continuity rose to 42.8%, narrowing the gap to 8.7 points. Party approval ratings also tightened, with the DP at 42.1% and the PPP at 41.6%. The survey, conducted April 30 to May 2 before Kim’s nomination was confirmed, suggests both the opposition and ruling blocs are consolidating their bases ahead of the May 11 registration deadline.