President Moon's "coattails" benefit Democratic candidate Lee Jae-myung

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) Moon Jae-in's remarkable political resilence demonstrated in July 17-18 Korea Research survey of 1,015 persons commissioned by MBC News. Approval 44.2, disapproval 51.6 percent. The term coat tails now being applied to President Moon rather than lame duck.

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) This chart demonstrates the relative support for the presidents of the democratic period in South Korea at the end of the first quarter in the third, fourth, and fifth years in office in their respective 5 year, one term presidencies. Bar graph (left side) From Kim Young-sam, (bottom, earliest), up to (top) Moon Jae-in, the current president of South Korea. The line graph (right) reflects support for each president over their respective five year terms comparatively. In the current period of the 5th year, Moon 43%, Park Geun-hye, impeached, Lee Myung-bak 25%, No Mu-hyun 16%, Kim Dae-jung 33%, and Kim Young-sam 14%. The South Korea Gallup poll is credited as the source. Nobel Peace Prize winner Kim Dae-jung is the only former president with numbers nearly as strong as current democratic President of South Korea Moon Jae-in. Kim Dae-jung's presidency was followed by that of another democratic party president, No Mu-hyun.

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) Presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung, democratic Gyeonggido governor, 27.1 percent; Yoon Seok-yeol, unaffiliated conservative candidate, 19.7 percent; and Lee Nak-yeon, former democratic prime minister, 14.6 percent.

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) Lee Jae-myung, leading democratic party candidate for president at this point versus the three currently declared conservative candidates for president: against Yoon Seok-yeol, 44.0% over 34.9% (top line); against Choi Jae-hyung (middle) 46.8% over 25.3% ; and against Hong Chun-pyo (bottom) 49.1% over 23.9%. About 3 percent of the respondents wouldn't vote for these candidates and from about 18 to 25 percent of those queried either didn't know, were unavailable or didn't answer. It's early in the election campaign cycle, but if these numbers held up, and Lee Jae-myung wins the democratic primary, he would win the presidency in the March 2022.

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) Moon Jae-in and Lee Jae-myung at the "candlelight revolution" demonstrations in early 2017 calling for the impeachment of then conservative President Park Geun-hye. The caption under the photo says "following the precedent." Millions of ordinary South Koreans turned out for these demonstrations against corruption and authoritarianism in the conservative administration at that time. It was this movement that resulted in Moon Jae-in's election as President of South Korea. Thus far, he has proved resilent in the face of consistent criticism in conservative media in South Korea, and the US and Japan. Ironically, the placards in the photo calling for impeachment say "by way of the people's power, impeach." The current conservative party opposition in South Korea uses the term "people's power" in the most recently adopted name for their party, People's Power Party.