'30% Range' Yoon Approval Rating... Reducing Variables and Focusing on National Tasks in the Second Half of the Year

Positive Evaluations Increase for Disaster Response and Livelihood Support... Presidential Office and Party Internal Discord Persist

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Seok-yeol's approval rating for his administration has settled in the 30% range. About a month after hitting a low point in the 20% range, President Yoon's approval rating has been recorded in the 30% range across various polls. This is the result of positive evaluations of disaster response efforts such as typhoons and the willingness to reorganize the presidential office, reflecting favorable public sentiment during the first holiday season since the new government took office. However, internal discord within the ruling party continues, and with the government facing the burden of delivering policy outcomes in the second half of the year, the approval rating may fluctuate again.

According to a Realmeter survey conducted from September 5 to 8 (the first week of September) targeting 2,006 adults aged 18 and over nationwide, the positive evaluation of President Yoon's administration rose by 0.3 percentage points from the previous week to 32.6%. President Yoon's approval rating had stopped declining after eight weeks in the second week of last month, rebounded to 30.4%, then rose for three consecutive weeks up to 33.6%, before dropping to 32.3% in the last week of the month. Negative evaluations were 64.6%, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous week.

Earlier, a Korea Research poll released on the 10th also showed President Yoon's approval rating in the 30% range. Negative evaluations of his administration were in the 60% range. The survey, conducted from September 7 to 8 among 1,001 adults aged 18 and over nationwide, showed positive evaluations at 30.4% and negative evaluations at 63.6%.

Respondents who said President Yoon was performing well cited reasons such as "decisiveness and drive" (25.7%) and "upholding fairness and principles" (23.2%). Conversely, those who said he was performing poorly pointed to "lack of ability and experience" (34.1%) and "being autocratic and one-sided" (19.6%).

In political circles, it is believed that the response to Typhoon Hinamnor, internal conflicts within the People Power Party, the summoning of Lee Jae-myung, and the Democratic Party's counterattack with the "Kim Geon-hee special prosecution" ahead of the Chuseok holiday influenced the approval ratings. Despite factors such as confrontation with the Democratic Party and conflicts within the People Power Party, the strong positive response to the all-out response to Hinamnor helped maintain a firm approval rating.

However, variables remain after the holiday. For example, in the Korea Research survey, 62.7% of respondents said the "Kim Geon-hee special prosecution" pushed by the Democratic Party was "necessary," while only 32.4% said it was unnecessary. Regarding the police's decision not to indict Kim Geon-hee on false career allegations, 64.7% responded that it was an "unfair investigation result," while 24.2% said it was a "fair investigation result."

The presidential office plans to focus more on advancing national tasks and monitoring the livelihood economy after the holiday. The reorganization of the presidential office just before the holiday was in line with this plan. The presidential office replaced both the first and second secretaries for political affairs and carried out organizational restructuring. The Digital Communication Secretary's Office under the Civil Society Secretary's Office was transferred to the Public Relations Secretary's Office, and the Religious and Multicultural Secretary's Office under the Civil Society Secretary's Office was renamed the Social Sympathy Secretary's Office. Along with the transfer of the Digital Communication Secretary's Office, the Public Relations Secretary's Office will establish a new Overseas Public Relations Secretary's Office.

Accordingly, in the second half of the year, close cooperation between the presidential office and related ministries is expected to continue on issues such as real estate, price stabilization, and export problems. Voices within and outside the presidential office emphasize the need to deliver tangible results that the public can feel by the end of the year, considering international and external variables. A presidential office official said, "With the reorganization completed, we will work swiftly with the National Assembly and ministries in the second half of the year to efficiently respond to national tasks and livelihood issues. Capability-based organizational restructuring will continue going forward."

Meanwhile, the Realmeter survey has a margin of error of ±2.2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The survey was conducted with 97% mobile and 3% landline methods, with a response rate of 4.1%. The Korea Research survey has a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. It was conducted entirely via mobile phone interviews, with a response rate of 15.7%. For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.

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