Waching daily Jan 2 2017

Korea's presidential election could begin earlier than usual... depending on the impeachment

trial result.

Pollsters are already collecting and publishing support rates of various potential presidential

candidates.

Park Jiwon lists some of the hot favorites for election 2017.

Eight out of nine survey results by Korea's local dailies show the former main opposition

party leader Moon Jae-in earning the highest support among several potential presidential

candidates,... followed by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Only one of the nine surveys shows Ban ahead of Moon.

Behind those two possible contenders were Seongnam city mayor Lee Jae-myung,... doctor-turned-software

tycoon and former minor opposition party leader Ahn Cheol-soo,... the governor of Chungcheongnam-do

Ahn Hee-jung,... and the current Seoul mayor Park Won-soon.

A joint survey by Yonhap News Agency and KBS late last month had Moon Jae-in in the lead

with 21-point-six percent,... followed by Ban Ki-moon at 17-point-two.

Seongnam mayor Lee Jae-myung took third place,... with single-digit support for Ahn Cheol-soo

and Chungcheongnam-do Governor Ahn Hee-jung.

A survey conducted the following two days by the Chosun Ilbo also showed Moon on top,

though by a slightly bigger margin.

The other four candidates came in the same order, Ban Ki-moon, again with about 17 percent

support.

The Donga Ilbo's poll had Moon again in the lead, albeit more narrowly, followed by Ban

and Lee.

But, interestingly, Prime Minister and current acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn made this poll's

top five.

The Hankyoreh Newspaper's poll also showed similar results -- liberal candidate Moon

in first,... followed by Ban and Lee Jae-myung.

Regarding the results,... a lawmaker close to Moon Jae-in said in a media interview Monday

that the polls show a high regard among the public for Moon's policy directions, including

a range of reform plans for the nation,... while a close aide to Ban Ki-moon said it

would not be appropriate to respond to the polls yet,... adding that they could fluctuate

widely with so many variables ahead of the election.

Park Ji-won, Arirang News.