{"id":2202680,"date":"2023-11-08T14:23:53","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T05:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2202680"},"modified":"2023-11-10T18:48:55","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T09:48:55","slug":"election-pressures-mount-for-yoon-suk-yeol-as-approval-among-supporters-slips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/11\/election-pressures-mount-for-yoon-suk-yeol-as-approval-among-supporters-slips\/","title":{"rendered":"Election pressures mount for Yoon Suk-yeol as approval among supporters slips"},"content":{"rendered":"
As next year\u2019s April National Assembly elections draw closer, South Korea\u2019s major parties are gearing up for a bitter contest, with the Yoon administration battling to avoid another defeat.<\/span><\/p>\n The country remains deeply divided along political, gender and age lines, and the upcoming election will bring these fissures to the fore. For President Yoon Suk-yeol, this election could be a defining piece of his legacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While his approach to foreign policy has <\/span>won him plaudits<\/span><\/a> from abroad, the fact that his party, the People Power Party (PPP), is a significant minority in the National Assembly has severely hamstrung his ability to pursue a domestic legislative agenda.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Should the PPP win a majority of seats, Yoon is likely to quickly unfurl that agenda with reforms to social welfare, education and the national pension system. Should his party lose, he will become a lame duck with three years left in his term.<\/span><\/p>\n And with just six months to go, Yoon and the PPP are running out of time to reverse low approval rates for the president and his policies, as economic difficulties and the real estate market weigh heavily on voters\u2019 minds.<\/span><\/p>\n THE PRESSURE<\/b><\/p>\n The conservative PPP is clearly feeling the pressure ahead of the elections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In what both parties considered a preview of the upcoming voting for seats in the National Assembly, the Democratic Party (DP) <\/span>roundly defeated<\/span><\/a> the PPP in a by-election in Seoul\u2019s Gangseo District last month. The DP candidate garnered 57% of the vote compared to just 39% for the PPP candidate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The results appear to have sounded alarm bells for the PPP, which has <\/span>rehabilitated<\/span><\/a>\u00a0its former leader Lee Jun-seok and Daegu mayor Hong Jun-pyo, lifting the suspensions of their party memberships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The former is a relative newcomer who was expelled for ethics violations that involved allegations of bribery and prostitution. He was once viewed as key in bringing young men into the party ahead of the last presidential election.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hong was suspended amid backlash for playing golf when the country was struggling with damage from heavy downpours.<\/span><\/p>\n The party has also <\/span>revived<\/span><\/a> a moribund proposal to expand Seoul to include some neighboring areas, including Gimpo.<\/span><\/p>\n