Korea Gallup: "Han Deok-su Prime Minister Nominee Deemed Unsuitable... Public Opinion Worsens Over 3 Weeks"

Suitable 30%, Unsuitable 37%

Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo is adjusting his glasses while attending the Special Committee on Personnel Hearings held at the National Assembly on the 25th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Public opinion against Han Deok-su, the nominee for Prime Minister, is growing. As various suspicions have been raised ahead of the confirmation hearing, the opinion that he is unfit has surpassed the opinion that he is fit.

According to a public opinion poll released on the 29th by Gallup Korea (conducted nationwide from the 26th to 27th, targeting 1,003 adults aged 18 and over, via telephone interviews), 30% of respondents said Han is suitable as the next Prime Minister, while 37% said he is unsuitable.

Public opinion appears to have worsened due to the suspicions raised about Han. In a poll conducted from the 5th to 7th, 38% said he was suitable, 22% said unsuitable, and 33% were undecided.

Han originally planned to hold the confirmation hearing on the 25th and 26th, but due to issues with document submission, members of the confirmation committee from the Democratic Party and the Justice Party requested a postponement, and it was rescheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of next month. The Democratic Party is intensifying its offensive by raising suspicions related to Han’s past tenure at Kim & Chang, including conservatism and property-related allegations.

Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the party’s emergency meeting held at the National Assembly that "There is not a single nominee for State Council member who is free from any of the top 10 corruption allegations," and criticized, "Han Deok-su, who holds nine titles, is a super lobbyist who received 2 billion won from Kim & Chang, but there is no way to know what he actually did."

The margin of error for this poll is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and the response rate is 9.7%. For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission or the Gallup Korea website.

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