WNAM REPORT: President Yoon Suk Yeol’s job approval rating has once again fallen to its previous record low of 20 percent within six weeks, Gallup Korea announced Friday.
This week’s poll showed a two-point drop from the prior week’s 22 percent approval rating. Gallup Korea conducted the survey with 1,001 adults nationwide over three days, from Tuesday to Thursday.
Yoon’s approval rating, by Gallup Korea’s metrics, initially hit the all-time low of 20 percent during the second week of September, followed by a modest increase that kept it slightly higher. However, with Friday’s results, his rating has returned to the lowest level in just six weeks.
While the record-low approval rating matched the 20 percent recorded in September, this week saw a notable shift; for the first time, issues involving first lady Kim Keon Hee were the leading reason for disapproval of President Yoon’s performance.
In this survey, 15 percent of respondents pointed to concerns related to the first lady, followed closely by 14 percent who cited worsening economic conditions and rising living costs. Other reasons included insufficient communication (12 percent), general dissatisfaction (6 percent), unilateral decision-making (6 percent) and foreign policy disappointments (4 percent).
In last week’s survey, economic concerns were the top reason for disapproval at 15 percent, with the first lady issue standing at 14 percent and insufficient communication at 8 percent.
The results reflect growing public dissatisfaction with the presidential office’s lack of clear responses to allegations surrounding Kim, including accusations of stock price manipulation and ties with a local election broker prior to Yoon’s presidential candidacy in early 2022.
Additionally, ongoing friction between the presidential office and ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon has weighed further on public perceptions of the president.
A senior official from the presidential office stated that they will place greater emphasis on listening to public concerns.
“Regarding the recent decline in approval ratings, we recognize the gravity of the situation and will make an even greater effort to listen to the voices of the people. We are committed to doing our best each day to address any shortcomings and will focus more intently on issues affecting livelihoods and on advancing reform initiatives,” the official said Friday.
Meanwhile, the support rates for the PPP and main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) stand evenly at 30 percent. While the DPK’s rating remained unchanged from the previous survey, support for the PPP rose by 2 percentage points.
