POLL Judicial risks, clash with opposition pose huge hurdles for new president

President Lee Jae-myung delivers his address during the Memorial Day ceremony held at the Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps

Continued clashes with opposition parties and ongoing legal trials involving President Lee Jae-myung are viewed as the two biggest political challenges confronting his administration, according to a recent poll commissioned by The Korea Times.

The nationwide survey, conducted Wednesday and Thursday, found that 34 percent of respondents cited conflict with opposition parties as the most significant political obstacle facing the new administration. Another 28 percent pointed to the judicial risks stemming from the five criminal trials currently involving the president.

The poll, which surveyed 1,000 adults, also found that 20 percent of respondents expressed concerns about the potential weakening of institutional checks and balances that uphold the separation of powers. With Lee’s ruling party now controlling both the executive branch and a majority in the legislature, some worry that proposed judicial reforms — including a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices and potential efforts to delay Lee’s trials during his presidency — could undermine judicial independence.

Graphic by The Korea Times

Eight percent of those surveyed cited scandals involving the president’s close associates and family members. These include the conviction of first lady Kim Hye-kyung on charges of misusing public funds, as well as a series of suspicious deaths linked to figures connected to the administration, fueling concerns about risks tied to Lee’s personal network.

Notably, public perceptions of the administration’s biggest political challenges varied sharply along party lines. Nearly half of progressive-leaning respondents identified clashes with the opposition as the administration’s chief burden, while conservative respondents were more likely to view the president’s legal troubles as the most serious liability.

This power struggle follows years of political deadlock between the presidency and the legislature under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. During his administration, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) — Lee’s party — held a parliamentary majority, resulting in repeated clashes between the National Assembly and the presidential office. These standoffs often culminated in presidential vetoes, particularly on key reform measures and legislation aimed at curbing prosecutorial powers, which were championed by the opposition.

President Lee Jae-myung bows his head during the Memorial Day ceremony at the Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps

Another issue that exposed sharp partisan divides among respondents is the ongoing election law violation case involving the president.

The case, one of the first criminal trials on his docket, is set to resume at 10 a.m. on June 18. On May 1, the Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s acquittal and sent the case back for retrial, issuing a ruling that signaled a tilt toward a guilty verdict.

The Seoul High Court had initially scheduled the first hearing for May 15 — two weeks after the Supreme Court’s decision — but postponed it until after the presidential election.

Graphic by The Korea Times

With the trial set to resume just weeks into Lee’s presidency, public opinion remains deeply divided.

According to the survey, 52 percent of respondents believe the trial should proceed, while 46 percent think it should be halted.

Views, however, vary sharply along partisan lines, reflecting the high stakes of a potential conviction. If found guilty and fined at least 1 million won (approximately $736), Lee would be disqualified from holding elected office.

Among conservative People Power Party supporters, 89 percent said the trial should move forward as scheduled, while just 9 percent favored halting the proceedings. In contrast, 74 percent of liberal-leaning DPK supporters said the trial should stop, while 24 percent believed it should continue.

In addition to the election law violation case, the president currently faces four other criminal trials. These include charges of witness tampering; corruption allegations tied to development projects in the Daejang-dong, Wirye and Baekhyeon-dong areas of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province as well as illegal donations to Seongnam FC when Lee was mayor there; suspicions of illicit fund transfers to North Korea involving the Ssangbangwool Group; and accusations of misusing corporate credit cards during his tenure as governor of Gyeonggi Province.

While the continuation of each trial depends on the decisions of the respective courts, Lee’s party has ramped up efforts to shield him from legal jeopardy, placing considerable political pressure on the administration from its outset.

In particular, the DPK, which holds a parliamentary majority, is pushing to increase the number of Supreme Court justices. This proposal has drawn widespread criticism as an attempt to tilt the court’s composition in favor of certain ideological leanings, thereby reducing Lee’s judicial risks.

The Korea Times commissioned the survey to gauge public sentiment. Hankook Research surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide in phone interviews on Wednesday and Thursday. 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.