[Summary] "Flash Effect" vs "Caught the Moment of a Star" Disagreement Between Ruling and Opposition Over Yoon Seok-yeol's 'No.1 Approval Rating'

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Tops Polls After Resignation
"Will Disappear Soon," "Will Fall When Tested," Ruling Party Dismisses
"Great Help to Opposition," "Vanguard of Conflict with Moon Administration," Opposition Optimistic

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is giving a farewell speech as he leaves the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, after resigning on the afternoon of the 4th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] In a recent poll conducted after former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's resignation, Yoon topped the list of next presidential candidate approval ratings, leading to differing interpretations between the ruling and opposition parties. The Democratic Party dismissed it as a "flash effect that will soon fade," while the People Power Party expressed hopes that he would become the "vanguard clashing with the Moon Jae-in administration."

According to the results of a next presidential candidate suitability survey conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) on the 5th, commissioned by TBS, targeting 1,023 people nationwide aged 18 and over, former Prosecutor General Yoon received the highest support at 32.4%, ranking first.

Following him were Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung (24.1%) and Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yon (14.9%) in second and third place, respectively, followed by independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo (7.6%), Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun (2.6%), and former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae (2.5%).

Previously, in a similar survey conducted by KSOI on January 22, Yoon's approval rating was only 14.6%. This marks a dramatic increase of 17.8 percentage points in just six weeks.

Jeong Cheong-rae, Democratic Party of Korea / Photo by Yonhap News

Interpretations between the ruling and opposition parties diverged on this matter. The Democratic Party argued that Yoon's surge in approval ratings would be short-lived.

Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Cheong-rae wrote on his Facebook on the 8th, "To conclude first, Yoon Seok-yeol's brief rise to first place in approval ratings will soon disappear," sarcastically criticizing, "He probably spent all day sitting at home, intoxicated by his own approval ratings, contemplating his political plans."

He also commented on the survey results, saying, "There is no candidate from the People Power Party," and pointed out, "Due to the Yoon Seok-yeol blocking effect, the People Power Party's presidential candidates have faded out."

He added, "The worst-case scenario for the People Power Party is that Yoon will, for a while, overshadow the party's presidential candidates like acorns, then disappear like Ban Ki-moon, or remain on the outskirts of the third zone, troubling the People Power Party like Ahn Cheol-soo," and claimed, "Yoon's entry into politics has become a disaster for the People Power Party. I wish Yoon good luck."

On the same day, Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Hoon-sik appeared on KBS radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' and explained, "Yoon's approval rating could actually rise significantly. This is because even those who have grievances with the current administration's policies, or those who wish the Democratic Party had done better, might support Yoon."

However, he noted, "Depending on how his political declaration unfolds, his ratings could fluctuate. While there are points gained from positioning himself as fighting the establishment, there will also be declines as he is scrutinized."

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party / Photo by Yonhap News

On the other hand, the opposition party predicted that "former Prosecutor General Yoon will exert significant influence in the next presidential election."

Kim Jong-in, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, told Yonhap News on the same day, "It seems Yoon has seized his 'moment of the star' well," and evaluated, "Now that Yoon has joined the opposition, if he voices his own opinions, that itself will be a great help."

He added, "After the by-elections, a very complex situation could unfold," and predicted, "Depending on Yoon's political capabilities, he could become the central figure."

On the same day, People Power Party lawmaker Jang Je-won expressed on Facebook, "After Yoon's resignation, he immediately rose to first place in the next presidential candidate poll," showing expectations by saying, "This shows that the 'complete corruption' (a situation where corruption is rampant) resonated with the public sentiment."

He continued, "I believe it reflects the public's expectations for regime change," emphasizing, "It symbolizes Yoon as the forefront figure directly confronting the Moon Jae-in administration."

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