Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye Pardon, Support 47.7% vs Oppose 48.0% 'Neck and Neck'

- 'Approval' Leads Among Those in Their 60s and 70s or Older... More Opposition in 40s, 30s, and 20s
- 32.1% of Conservative Respondents Say 'Oppose'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Public opinion on the pardon of former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye was sharply divided.

According to Realmeter's announcement on the 6th, a survey commissioned by 'OhmyNews' on the pardon of former presidents showed that 47.7% of respondents were in favor, while 48.0% were opposed. The difference was only 0.3 percentage points.

By region, support was high in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (support 66.6% · opposition 29.4%), Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungcheong (58.3% · 37.4%), and Daegu and Gyeongbuk (56.8% · 31.3%). In contrast, opposition was the majority in Gwangju and Jeolla (19.3% · 76.6%) and Incheon and Gyeonggi (39.6% · 57.1%). In Seoul, support and opposition were nearly even at 49.0% and 47.6%, respectively.

There were differences in support and opposition by age group. About 7 out of 10 people in their 60s (support 68.1% · opposition 28.8%) and those aged 70 and above (68.1% · 29.5%) supported the pardon of former presidents. Conversely, opposition exceeded support among those in their 40s (support 31.5% · opposition 63.7%), 30s (35.9% · 59.1%), and 20s (42.4% · 51.6%). In the 50s age group, support and opposition were almost equal at 48.2% and 48.0%, respectively.

Responses also varied by political orientation and party support. Among supporters of the People Power Party, about 80% were in favor, whereas among supporters of the Democratic Party of Korea, about 80% were opposed, showing a stark contrast. Additionally, 67.5% of conservatives supported the pardon, while 75.1% of progressives opposed it. Notably, 32.1% of conservatives opposed the pardon. Among centrists, support was 51.0% and opposition 43.5%, showing a difference within the margin of error.

Amid such divided public opinion, the Democratic Party, which initially sparked the pardon debate, has remained completely silent on the issue. Following strong backlash within the ruling party, they have shifted to message management, stating that "a pardon requires public consensus and reflection by the parties involved, and we will respect the will of the people and party members." However, political circles speculate that after the Supreme Court's ruling on former President Park Geun-hye's retrial on the 14th, they will consider the stance of Park herself and public opinion trends before deciding whether to recommend a pardon to President Moon Jae-in.

The survey contacted 7,420 adults nationwide aged 18 and over, with a final 500 respondents completing the survey, resulting in a response rate of 6.7%. The sampling error is ±4.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

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