President Yoon's approval rating hits record low 20%, few Koreans support military aid to Ukraine: Survey

Home > National > Politics

President Yoon's approval rating hits record low 20%, few Koreans support military aid to Ukraine: Survey

Published: 25 Oct. 2024, 17:25

MICHAEL LEE
lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Oct. 14. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s approval rating has fallen to 20 percent, according to a survey released on Friday, marking a record low since he took office in May 2022.

The opinion poll, conducted by Gallup Korea from Oct. 22 to 24, questioned 1,001 individuals aged 18 and older. It has a confidence interval of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

According to Gallup Korea, just 20 percent of survey’s respondents said they approved of the president’s performance, marking another steep decline in Yoon’s chronically low popularity, which had appeared to stabilize just under 30 percent over the past six weeks.

Approximately 15 percent of respondents attributed their disapproval of the president to allegations surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee, while 14 percent cited economic and livelihood issues.

Another 12 percent said their primary reason for disliking Yoon was his poor communication skills, while 6 percent rated him as generally incompetent.

However, 27 percent of respondents positively evaluated Yoon’s foreign policy, while 9 percent voiced approval of his handling of military and security matters.

According to Gallup Korea, around 90 percent of liberal Democratic Party (DP) supporters and people in their 40s expressed negative opinions of Yoon, while traditionally conservative groups such as People Power Party (PPP) supporters were split between 48 percent who still rate the president positively and 40 percent who view him negatively.

In response to the release of the survey, an official from the presidential office told reporters that Yoon would “work harder to listen to the voices of the people” and “do his best to improve in those aspects where he has been found wanting.”

Regarding public disapproval of Yoon’s handling of issues surrounding the first lady, the official said the president “has been adequately informed by PPP leader Han Dong-hoon,” whom he met for one-on-one talks on Monday.

In a separate survey conducted by Gallup Korea, the PPP and DP each recorded 30 percent support from respondents, while the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party and minor conservative Reform Party scored 6 and 4 percent, respectively.

Regarding the Russian war against Ukraine, 66 percent of respondents said South Korea should only send non-military aid, such as food and medical supplies, while 16 percent said Seoul should send no aid at all to Kyiv. Only 13 percent said the country should send military aid, such as weapons and defense systems.

The survey highlighted deep public reluctance for greater involvement in Ukraine despite intelligence reports that North Korea could deploy up to 10,000 of its own soldiers to help Russia.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]