It would be best for the minor opposition People’s Party to merge with the splinter conservative Bareun Party in terms of public support, a poll showed Wednesday.

According to a poll by Hankook Research, 19.7 percent of 1,000 respondents said they would support the People’s Party if it joined the Bareun Party, showing a higher figure than the sum of the approval rates each party garnered.

If it merged with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the approval rate reached only slightly above the ruling party’s support rate alone, at 54.4 percent. When asked about the reunion of the fractured conservative bloc -- the Bareun Party and main opposition Liberty Korea Party -- 26.3 percent expressed their support.

In the same poll, the Bareun Party came third among the five political parties, posting 6.8 percent of support, while the People’s Party posted 6.4 percent.

The ruling Democratic Party currently tops the list with 49.3 percent of support, followed by the main opposition conservative Liberty Korea Party, which stood at 15 percent. The far-left Justice Party was last with 5.4 percent.

Facing a local election next June, the political circle has started talks of merger and alliances to reinforce their standing among voters.

The poll was conducted upon the request of People21 Institute, a think tank of the People’s Party.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)