{"id":2199693,"date":"2022-12-12T08:50:44","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T08:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2199693"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:10:48","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:10:48","slug":"yoon-sees-approval-rate-bump-after-adopting-harder-edged-image","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2022\/12\/yoon-sees-approval-rate-bump-after-adopting-harder-edged-image\/","title":{"rendered":"Yoon sees approval rate bump after adopting harder-edged image"},"content":{"rendered":"
President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s approval rate has gone through something of a resurgence since the <\/span>Itaewon tragedy<\/span><\/a>, with his polling numbers climbing from 29% to 33% in the <\/span>most recent<\/span><\/a> Gallup Korea polling.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s a modest gain, barely outside the poll\u2019s margin of error. And given the sheer number of events happening in Korea, it is difficult to tie those gains to any single factor. However, a 33% approval rating is his highest rating in nearly <\/span>five months<\/span><\/a> and coincides with the president presenting a harder-edged image.<\/span><\/p>\n First, Yoon singled out MBC and <\/span>banned<\/span><\/a> the outlet\u2019s journalists from boarding Air Force One on his recent trip to the ASEAN Summit. Days later, Yoon <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> he would end his practice of \u201cdoorstepping\u201d following an <\/span>argument<\/span><\/a> caught on camera between an MBC reporter and a presidential aide. Doorstepping refers to Yoon\u2019s hallmark practice of holding regular Q&A sessions with the press as he arrived for work during the first six months of his presidency.<\/span><\/p>\n Both moves were highly controversial but likely played to his base of supporters in the People Power Party (PPP). Between the last week of October and the second week of December, <\/span>support<\/span><\/a> among his party rose from 65% to 73%.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Second, Yoon was facing a <\/span>mass strike<\/span><\/a> by truck drivers across the country, and he also took a hardline stance here. He <\/span>issued<\/span><\/a> unprecedented return-to-work orders for striking cement truck drivers and was <\/span>set to do so<\/span><\/a> for cargo truck drivers before union members <\/span>voted<\/span><\/a> to return to work.<\/span><\/p>\n Interestingly, his approach was <\/span>not well-received<\/span><\/a> among the public more broadly. Just 31% approved of the government\u2019s response, with a slim majority disapproving, according to Gallup Korea. But among his party, 65% approved of the administration\u2019s approach versus 19% that disapproved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n