Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
POLL 61% of Koreans disapprove of Yoon’s job performance
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at Sejong Government Complex, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Kwak Yeon-soo
More than half of Koreans are dissatisfied with President Yoon Suk Yeol’s handling of his job, while the approval rating for his party, the People Power Party, was only slightly higher than that of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), according to a poll by The Korea Times.
The Korea Times commissioned Hankook Research to poll 1,002 adults aged 18 and older on Monday and Tuesday.
According to the findings, 61 percent of respondents disapprove of how Yoon is leading the country, while 35 percent evaluated his performance negatively. Forty-three percent said that they strongly disapprove of Yoon’s job performance — more than four times the number who strongly approve of him.
The poll aligns with a Gallup poll from the first week of March that showed Yoon’s rating hovering at 39 percent approval and 53 percent disapproval.
The Korea Times poll also showed political party preferences. It indicated that 37 percent of respondents said they support the ruling party, compared with 35 percent for the DPK.
Approval ratings for newly created minor parties remained at relatively low levels. Support for the National Innovation Party led by Cho Kuk, a former justice minister under the previous liberal Moon Jae-in administration, stood at 5 percent, followed by the Reform Party, led by former PPP chief Lee Jun-seok, with 3 percent, and the Saemirae Party, headed by former DPK leader Lee Nak-yon, with 2 percent. Meanwhile, 13 percent of respondents disapproved of all the parties.
In terms of age demographics, the poll showed that the PPP was highly popular among those in their 70s and older with 68 percent, while the DPK was most popular among those in their 40s with 50 percent. Regionally, respondents living in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, both of which are traditional conservative strongholds, showed the most support for the PPP with 61 percent, while those living in Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces, the DPK's political home turf, showed the most support for the DPK with 58 percent.
By political orientation, 77 percent of conservatives approved of the PPP, while 64 percent of liberals and 36 percent of moderates, were positive of the DPK.
The poll indicates that while Yoon remains popular with his key base supporters, Koreans who identify as moderates have a less positive view of the president and the ruling party.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, with a credibility rate of 95 percent. Further details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission's website.