Yoon's approval rating remains at 20% amid first lady allegations, economic uncertainty

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Yoon's approval rating remains at 20% amid first lady allegations, economic uncertainty

Published: 22 Nov. 2024, 14:25

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

President Yoon Suk Yeol prays during the 56th Korea National Prayer Breakfast at the Shilla Hotel in central Seoul on Friday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating remained at 20 percent, the same as the previous week, according to Gallup Korea’s latest poll results disclosed Friday.

The pollster surveyed 1,001 eligible voters over the age of 18 nationwide between Tuesday and Thursday. The results have a confidence interval of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Of 1,001 respondents, 20 percent approved of Yoon’s job performance as a president, while 72 percent disapproved. Some 2 percent said they neither approve nor disapprove of his performance, while the remaining 5 percent declined to answer. The figures were rounded off.

Among the 203 participants who answered in favor of Yoon, foreign policy was the most cited reason at 39 percent. Others attributed their approval to Yoon’s determination, his handling of the economy and public livelihoods and the expansion of medical school admissions.

Conversely, controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee have remained the most cited reason for six consecutive weeks among those who negatively evaluated Yoon’s performance.

Some 14 percent of 720 who disapproved of Yoon attributed their response to allegations related to the first lady, and 13 percent said Yoon has poorly managed the economy, public livelihoods and inflation. Seven percent said Yoon has comprehensively mishandled state affairs, followed by some 6 percent who said his poor communication and unilateral decision-making fueled their disapproval. Other reasons cited include lack of experience, incompetency and corruption.

The survey also canvassed support for Korea's rival political parties.

The conservative People Power Party garnered 28 percent support, while the liberal Democratic Party (DP) stood at 34 percent. The minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party and minor conservative Reform Party scored 7 and 2 percent, respectively. In addition to the 2 percent who identified themselves as supporters of the liberal Jinbo Party or other minor parties, 27 percent were found to be swing voters.

Regarding a recent court ruling that handed a suspended prison term to DP leader Lee Jae-myung for election law violations, 43 percent of the 1,001 respondents said the verdict was “fair.” Another 42 percent said it was “unjust political suppression.” The remaining 15 percent abstained from answering.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]