{"id":2203139,"date":"2023-12-14T16:00:19","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T07:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2203139"},"modified":"2023-12-15T18:07:07","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T09:07:07","slug":"yoons-low-approval-rating-threatens-south-korean-ruling-partys-election-hopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/12\/yoons-low-approval-rating-threatens-south-korean-ruling-partys-election-hopes\/","title":{"rendered":"Yoon\u2019s low approval rating threatens South Korean ruling party\u2019s election hopes"},"content":{"rendered":"
As South Korea heads toward the April National Assembly elections, both the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the opposition Democratic Party (DP) are experiencing turbulence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n President Yoon Suk-yeol, grappling with consistently low approval ratings, faces a challenging political environment that reflects national policy discontent and internal strife within his own party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Simultaneously, despite its current parliamentary majority, the DP confronts its own internal discord, further complicated by a former leader\u2019s recent announcement that he intends to form a new political party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This backdrop of political uncertainty within both major parties sets the stage for an unpredictable and potentially transformative election.<\/span><\/p>\n IN THE DOLDRUMS<\/b><\/p>\n Gallup Korea\u2019s <\/span>most recent survey<\/span><\/a> shows that only 32% of respondents approve of Yoon\u2019s job performance, marking the fourth consecutive week where this figure has remained below 35%. This trend of low approval, briefly peaking at 36% in mid-November, indicates high political polarization and a president who has long since shed any <\/span>support outside of his base<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n These persistently low numbers present more than just a transient issue for Yoon; they signal a looming challenge for the PPP in the upcoming National Assembly elections in April.<\/span><\/p>\n The current data suggests a troublesome outlook for the PPP, with many South Koreans viewing the upcoming elections as a referendum on Yoon\u2019s leadership. The <\/span>most recent data<\/span><\/a> from the National Barometer Survey reveals broad voter dissatisfaction across various policy areas.<\/span><\/p>\n 55% are dissatisfied with the administration\u2019s social welfare policies, 54% with its North Korea policy and 56% with its handling of foreign relations with the U.S., China and Japan.<\/span><\/p>\n In the context of the upcoming elections, public sentiment on real estate and the overall economy will also play a pivotal role. Again, the numbers are unflattering, with nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents disapproving of Yoon\u2019s real estate policies.<\/span><\/p>\n