(LEAD) Lee leads Yoon by 6-6.6 percentage points: poll

(ATTN: ADDS another survey in last 5 paras)

SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Yonhap) -- Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is leading his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol by between 6-6.6 percentage points with the election less than two months away, a survey showed Monday.

Lee of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) garnered 40.1 percent, while Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) gained 34.1 percent, according to the Realmeter survey of 3,042 adults conducted last week.

Lee's support edged down 0.8 percentage point from a week earlier, and Yoon's support fell 5.1 percentage points.

The survey was conducted at a time when the main opposition party was mired in an internal feud as Yoon disbanded his campaign team for an overhaul.

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the minor opposition People's Party, saw his support rise 4.5 percentage points to 11.1 percent.

Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justice Party came in fourth with 2.8 percent.

When asked who should become a unified candidate if Yoon and Ahn agree to do so, 35.9 percent of the respondents picked Ahn, while 32.5 percent choose Yoon, the survey showed.

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating lagged behind his disapproval rating, 42.5 percent to 53.6 percent.

The PPP had the most support at 34.6 percent, trailed by the DP at 33.6 percent.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Another survey of Korea Research International also showed Lee is leading Yoon outside the margin of error.

In the survey of 1,003 adults, conducted Friday and Saturday, Lee garnered 37.1 percent, down 1.4 percentage points from a week earlier. Yoon gained 30.5 percent, up 2.1 percentage points.

Ahn's support rose 5.2 percentage points to 13.6 percent, and Sim came in fourth with 4 percent.

The second survey was conducted after Yoon and the chief of his PPP reached a surprise agreement to put their long-running feud behind them and move forward for an election victory.

The second survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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