Leading Presidential Candidate Approval Rating No.1 'Yoon Seok-yeol Phenomenon': A Warning to the Democratic Party? [Han Seung-gon's Political Notebook]

Choo Mi-ae "Should Resign and Engage in Politics"
Democratic Party "Result of Wielding the Prosecutor's Sword for Personal Politics"
People Power Party "Yoon Chief Prosecutor's Approval Rating... This Government's Tyranny, Public Backlash"
'Progressive' Professors Criticize Democratic Party "Cannot Tolerate Politicians' Disagreements in the Cho Kuk Incident"

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is responding during the Supreme Prosecutors' Office audit held at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 22nd of last month.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As a poll released on the 11th showed Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol surpassing Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party, and Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province, in support ratings for the next presidential candidate for the first time, various interpretations have emerged in the political sphere.

Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae outright defined Prosecutor General Yoon as a politician and called for his resignation. The opposition party interpreted the rise in support as a kind of reflective effect caused by the Democratic Party's mistakes.

Earlier, among progressive-leaning professors, criticism had arisen that the Democratic Party was showing arrogance, and there is also a view that if the Democratic Party does not change, Prosecutor General Yoon's support ratings could continue.

According to a survey conducted by Hangil Research commissioned by Cookie News from the 7th to the 9th, targeting 1,022 voters nationwide aged 18 and over, the response supporting Prosecutor General Yoon was the highest at 24.7%.

Leader Lee Nak-yeon came in second with 22.2%, and Governor Lee Jae-myung ranked third with 18.4%. Although within the margin of error, Prosecutor General Yoon led Leader Lee. Following them were independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo at 5.6%, People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo at 4.2%, and Justice Party leader Shim Sang-jung at 3.4%.

Looking at ideological tendencies, Prosecutor General Yoon received the most support from conservatives (34.7%). He also received support from centrists (27.3%) and progressives (13%).

Regionally, support was highest in Chungcheong (33.8%), followed by Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (30.4%), Daegu and Gyeongbuk (27.3%), Incheon and Gyeonggi (26.4%), Seoul (22%), Jeju area (15.4%), and Gangwon area (11.7%). By age group, support for Prosecutor General Yoon was high among those aged 60 and over (31.8%) and those in their 20s (25.5%). It was 24.4% for those in their 50s, 19.6% for those in their 30s, and 18.4% for those in their 40s.

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is attending the full meeting of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on the morning of the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ "Rather resign and go into politics," "Result of wielding the sword of prosecution for personal politics"

Regarding these poll results, the ruling party downplayed them and called for resignation, while the opposition interpreted them as a kind of reflective effect caused by the Democratic Party's mistakes.

Justice Minister Chu, who has been in conflict with Prosecutor General Yoon for days, urged him at the National Assembly Budget Committee plenary session on the 11th, saying, "Since you have risen to number one in the presidential candidate (poll support), you should rather resign (from the prosecutor general position) and go into politics."

She added, "The person who should lead the prosecution most neutrally is showing political ambition and acting as a presidential candidate, and the media bears a great responsibility for this," criticizing, "For the prosecution to investigate policies driven by imagination and creativity is not sovereignty by the people but sovereignty being toyed with by the prosecution."

She continued, "Political neutrality of prosecution officials is vital," and sharply criticized Prosecutor General Yoon, saying, "Would the public accept if the chairman of the Central Election Commission, who oversees election affairs, was the number one presidential candidate?"

Meanwhile, there were also criticisms that Prosecutor General Yoon is ultimately engaging in personal politics and showing high support ratings through it. Democratic Party Supreme Council member Noh Woong-rae pointed out in a post on his Facebook that "(Prosecutor General Yoon) wielded the sword of prosecution under the guise of justice for personal politics."

He added, "He rebelled against his superior, openly displayed wreaths, and traveled nationwide giving lectures, engaging in political activities rather than investigations," and criticized, "The public knows who the politically biased political prosecutor is and who dragged the prosecution into the heart of politics."

Fellow party member Jung Chung-rae also appeared on KBS1's 'Sasa Geongeon' that evening and disparaged the poll result showing Prosecutor General Yoon as number one in the next presidential election as a "second Ban Ki-moon effect."

Joo Ho-young Floor Leader
Photo by Yonhap News

◆ "The 'reckless ruling party' nurtured Prosecutor General Yoon as a leading presidential candidate"

On the other hand, the opposition evaluated the result as a product of public sentiment criticizing the ruling party's arrogance.

People Power Party floor leader Joo Ho-young said after attending a seminar on 'Legislative Direction and Strategy for the Detective Business Act' at the National Assembly, "Polls change, so I don't want to put too much meaning into it, but the fact that support for Prosecutor General Yoon, who is not currently in politics, has risen is seen as public backlash against this government's tyranny and Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae's behavior."

People Power Party lawmaker Jang Je-won wrote on his Facebook, "Prosecutor General Yoon has risen to number one among next presidential candidates. It would not be an exaggeration to call it the 'Yoon Seok-yeol phenomenon,'" and pointed out, "The side that nurtured Prosecutor General Yoon as a leading presidential candidate is the 'reckless ruling party.'"

Kim Geun-sik, head of the Songpa District of the People Power Party, also wrote on his SNS, "The Democratic Party's delusion and arrogance, detached from public sentiment, are nurturing Prosecutor General Yoon. Minister Chu's stubbornness and obstinacy made Prosecutor General Yoon number one."

Fellow party member Kim Ki-hyun wrote on his Facebook, "Seeing the news that Prosecutor General Yoon ranked first in the presidential candidate poll, I could confirm how great the public's anger and disappointment toward the established political circle are, and how strong the desire for regime change is," and apologized, "I am truly sorry."

Choi Jang-jip, Professor Emeritus at Korea University

◆ "Today's Democratic Party cannot tolerate even one politician who voiced dissent over the Cho Kuk incident"

While opposition lawmakers interpret Prosecutor General Yoon's rising support ratings as due to the Democratic Party's mistakes, progressive-leaning professors and commentators have criticized the Democratic Party for undermining democracy. If the cause of Prosecutor General Yoon's support ratings is related to the Democratic Party, his support is likely to continue rising for the time being.

Progressive commentator Kang Joon-man (64), a professor at Jeonbuk National University, pointed out that the Moon Jae-in administration's 'double standards' (naeronambul: "If I do it, it's romance; if others do it, it's an affair") situation is at a serious level.

In his book 'Power Changes People's Brains' (Inmulgwa Sasangsa), Professor Kang said, "I stopped midway while listing the Moon Jae-in administration's double standards cases one by one," arguing, "Almost everything was double standards without needing to point it out." He strongly criticized the Moon Jae-in administration as "double standards."

Professor Kang criticized, "Self-reflection and a sense of responsibility are unnecessary. Politicians just need to beat the opponent hard. When vanity operates, politicians become actors, and the Democratic Party is competing in vanity. They give a beating to the very few lawmakers who speak bitter truths."

Targeting the progressive camp, he said, "Why are those who once cried for reform becoming the targets of reform?" and criticized again, "Because they adhered to the customs of anti-dictatorship struggles and approached reform without acknowledging their own greed for power," adding, "They understood reform as dividing sides."

Also, Choi Jang-jip, professor emeritus at Korea University, gave a public lecture on the 30th of last month at the Yeouido 'House' titled 'The Way Conservative Parties Can Contribute to Korea's Democracy in Crisis,' saying, "Today's Democratic Party cannot tolerate even one politician who voiced dissent over the Cho Kuk incident," and "I hope the conservative party does better than the Democratic Party for democracy."

Professor Choi cited the so-called 'Cho Kuk incident' and former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop's resignation as examples, saying, "Diversity is the way for conservatives to survive," and "Although the legislature was criticized as a rubber stamp during the authoritarian period, there is no difference with the current ruling party. A structure where various factions compete within the party with their own ideologies and values must be created."

He also raised his voice, saying, "The Democratic Party has no internal democracy. There are cases where members who opposed or voiced dissent during the Cho Kuk incident had no choice but to resign," and "There is no debate, and once the party line is decided from above, everyone must follow it unconditionally."

Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon mocked Justice Minister Chu's call for Prosecutor General Yoon to "resign and go into politics since he has risen to number one presidential candidate" in a post on his Facebook on the 11th, saying, "Did you set up the Yoon Seok-yeol presidential campaign?"

He criticized, "The person who said he had no intention of going into politics was forcibly made a presidential candidate and finally reached number one in support ratings, and now they are even urging him to run."

Regarding the poll result that Prosecutor General Yoon ranked first among presidential candidates, he said, "This is all thanks to Chu Mi-ae," and added, "What should be noted more than Prosecutor General Yoon's support rating is the stagnation of support ratings for Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon and Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung." He pointed out, "They were exposed too early and lost freshness, and they cannot speak their own voices because they are watching the pro-Moon faction."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.