Park's approval rating falls to record low

By Jun Ji-hye

President Park Geun-hye’s approval rating has dropped to 29 percent, the lowest since her inauguration in February 2013, according to a Gallup Korea survey released Friday.

The result came amid ongoing controversies surrounding the Mir and K-Sports Foundations, which were reportedly established and controlled by Park’s “underlings,” and the death of Baek Nam-ki, a farmer who spent 10 months in a coma after being knocked down by a police water cannon during a demonstration last year.

Park suffered steep falls in her ratings in January last year when the government was embroiled in controversy over an alleged tax increase, and in June the same year when an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) hit the nation. She also lost support in April this year when the ruling Saenuri Party lost its National Assembly majority in the general election.

In the latest Gallup survey of 1,009 adults nationwide, only 29 percent of respondents said they support Park’s job performance as of the first week of October, compared with 33 percent in early September and 31 percent in late September.

On the other hand, 57 percent disapproved of her performance, while 14 percent refused to respond.

Insufficient public communication was the top source of disapproval, followed by displeasure with her economic policies and her “self-righteous” attitude, the poll showed.

Her rating has continued to fall since the second week of last month when the figure stood at 33 percent, according to the pollster.

The presidential office has been in trouble amid allegations that Park’s aides at Cheong Wa Dae or her “hidden underlings” might have coerced conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics into providing “donations” for the establishment of the Mir and K-Sports foundations.

Opposition lawmakers said the firms paid nearly 80 billion won ($71.8 million) to the two newly created foundations, raising the suspicion that they were apparently intended to be the home base for President Park’s post-retirement activities.

The presidential office refused to explain them and dismissed criticism as a political offensive.