Yoon Without Q&A for 3 Days, First Drop Below 30% in Approval Rating Since Inauguration

Negative impacts such as personnel, economy, police bureau, and text message leaks
Yoon to take vacation next week... Doorstepping not held for 8 days excluding weekend

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] A public opinion poll revealed that President Yoon Seok-yeol's approval rating has fallen into the 20% range for the first time since his inauguration. Despite concerns over an economic recession, conflicts surrounding the establishment of the Police Bureau and the recent controversy over the ‘internal criticism’ text messages appear to have had a negative impact.

President Yoon’s brief press conferences on his way to work (doorsteppings), which have not been held for three consecutive days due to external schedules, are expected to resume only after ten days, influenced by holidays and other factors.

According to a public opinion poll conducted by Gallup Korea from the 26th to the 28th of this month targeting 1,000 adults nationwide aged 18 and over (sampling error ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level; detailed survey information can be found on the respective polling agency’s website and the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website), 28% of respondents answered that President Yoon is ‘doing well’ in his duties, while 62% gave negative evaluations.

Among those who gave negative evaluations, 21% cited personnel issues as the main reason, followed by lack of experience, qualifications, or incompetence, and neglect of the economy and public welfare, each accounting for 8%.

There were also responses citing the establishment of the Police Bureau (4%) and internal conflicts within the ruling party, including the exposure of text messages from Representative Kwon Seong-dong, acting party leader and floor leader (3%), as factors for negative evaluations.

President Yoon’s positive job performance rating has been declining for over a month, dropping from 53% in the second week of June. Although the decline seemed to halt last week at 32%, it fell further this week. Since the second week of June, negative evaluations have risen from the low 30% range to 62% this week.

President Yoon’s Q&A sessions with the press on his way to work, which have served as a communication channel with the public, have not been held for three days following the text message controversy.

On the 27th and 28th, President Yoon attended the 4th Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting and the launching ceremony of the Jeongjo the Great warship, respectively. He was originally scheduled to receive a briefing from Minister of Education Park Soon-ae on the morning of the 29th. However, the briefing was suddenly postponed to the afternoon the previous day, and with external schedules such as presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting and visiting the Sinchon police station in the morning, the doorstepping did not take place. In the first week of next month, President Yoon will go on vacation, resulting in no doorsteppings for up to eight days excluding the weekend.

Coincidentally, as external schedules continue, some interpret that President Yoon is temporarily avoiding Q&A sessions in response to the public backlash from the ‘internal criticism’ message controversy, adjusting his schedule to take a detour rather than his usual direct approach. However, the presidential office denied any connection between this and the on-site schedules.

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