Moon's approval rating rises as Cho Kuk saga ends

President Moon Jae-in prepares to preside over a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Oct. 8. Yonhap

By Park Ji-won, Kim Yoo-chul

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has risen sharply after he accepted the resignation of Justice Minister Cho Kuk following a heated controversy that brought weeks of massive protests against his appointment.

A regular tracking survey from Realmeter released Thursday showed Moon's approval rating at 45.5 percent during the third week of October, up from 41.4 percent a week before.

Respondents cited “Moon's acceptance of Cho Kuk's offer of resignation from the post” as a major reason for what they saw as a plus factor. Moon's disapproval rate was 51.6 percent during the same period, a decrease of 4.5 percentage points, the poll showed.

The increase was mostly thanks to backing from those in their 30s, with 59.1 percent satisfied with Moon's management of state affairs, up 11.6 percentage points from the previous week.

By region, Moon's approval rating in the Gwangju and Jeolla areas ― considered the administration's key political bases ― was 74.4 percent, up 7.9 percentage points from a week earlier. The support rating for Moon in the Gyeonggi and Incheon metropolitan areas was 50.7 percent, up from 45.7 percent.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) clinched a support rate of 39.4 percent, up 4.1 percentage points from a week ago. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) maintained 34 percent. The survey was conducted with those aged over 19, with a margin of error of 5.5 percent.

Cho, who had once served as President Moon's senior secretary for civil affairs, resigned from the justice minister post early this week, a few hours after announcing an overhaul of the country's prosecutors' office, a branch of the justice ministry that investigates politicians and high-level and politically sensitive cases.

Cho believed the prosecution had too much power, leading him to announce a series of reform measures. Ironically, Cho came under scrutiny by the prosecutors' office after allegations erupted that his daughter received extra privileges in her admission to a local medical school. Cho's wife was also later indicted in both related and separate financial scandals, affecting Cho directly.

Moon pushed ahead with Cho's appointment, but growing anger brought conservative critics of Cho and the ruling DPK into the streets. At its peak, pro- and anti-Cho protests saw hundreds of thousands, if not millions, demonstrating ahead of next year's “very crucial” general election.

Moon's approval rating dropped to a record low of 42.5 percent in the face of the protests. In an earlier survey conducted at the end of September, 53.7 percent of respondents said Moon made a “mistake” by naming Cho. The growing dissatisfaction was worrying for the liberal Moon. He offered a public apology over the ongoing deeply polarized national opinion.

South Korea's presidents usually see a decrease in support as they head into the second half of their single five-year term, as they are considered to be lame ducks.

“It appears that Cho was pressured by the support fall and decided to resign,” a DPK lawmaker said. “He even did not reveal to the party his plan to step down until the last moment. Not many, except for a few senior DPK members, knew about the announcement.”

On a related note, critics say that pollsters are advised to pay more attention to explain their results as they can be used as references to politicize some issues. They said the support rating is being used as material for political attack and defense.

Attention is on whether Moon's shift toward economic issues will boost his approval rating further. Moon, who took power with promises to boost employment and reduce income inequality, has presided over an economy forecast to expand this year at the weakest pace in a decade.

Exports have been decreasing for nine months straight, hurting investment sentiment and local hiring. Moon also is seeking to find breakthroughs in resolving the trade friction with Japan and bringing some visible results to move North Korean denuclearization talks forward.