Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Over half of Koreans view Yoon will do good job as president
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol wears a face mask as he enters his office in Tongui-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps
By Nam Hyun-woo
By Nam Hyun-woo
More than half of the public looked positively on the prospect of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's presidency, a survey showed, Friday.
However, the approval rate was far lower than that of his predecessors tallied soon after they were elected. Some attribute Yoon's relatively lower approval rate to the ongoing clash between him and President Moon Jae-in over various state affairs during the remainder of the latter's term.
According to the poll by Gallup Korea, 55 percent of 1,000 respondents said they expect Yoon will do a good job in presidency, while 40 percent said they believe he will not do a good job.
The number was higher than President Moon's current support rate of 44 percent, but far lower than the support rates of former presidents tallied within two weeks of their election victories.
In 2007, then-President-elect Lee Myung-bak enjoyed a positive view from 84 percent of respondents in a survey conducted seven days after the Dec. 19 election of that year. Lee's sucessor, Park Geun-hye, had positive views from 78 percent of respondents in a survey done 10 days after her victory in Dec. 19, 2012. Current President Moon was viewed positively by 87 percent of those surveyed nine days after his victory on May 9, 2017.
“Former presidents have enjoyed positive outlook ratings at about 80 percent within two weeks of their election victory,” a Gallup Korea official said. “Yoon's number is lower than that of his predecessors.”
The survey came amid the tug-of-war between Yoon and Moon over the former's plan to relocate the presidential office and residence from Cheong Wa Dae to the defense ministry in Yongsan District, Seoul.
Yoon said he wants to move the presidential office to communicate better with the public, but there is an ongoing clash over the costs, timeline and security risks, among others.
In the survey, 53 percent of respondents said that Yoon should keep the presidential office at Cheong Wa Dae, while 36 percent said they are okay with Yoon's plan.
The survey also showed that public opinion is still sharply divided between the conservative and progressive blocs.
Ninety percent of Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) supporters viewed his presidency with optimism, while 75 percent of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province residents answered positively and 80 percent of those who said they are conservatives also gave nods to Yoon's presidency. Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are strongholds for conservative parties.
On the other hand, 72 percent of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea supporters looked on Yoon's presidency negatively. Seventy-three percent of those who said they are progressive, and 59 percent of those in their 40s, were also pessimistic about Yoon's presidency.
The poll questioned 1,000 adults from Tuesday to Thursday. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Further details are available at the websites of Gallup Korea and the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.