Did the Strike Boost Yoon's Approval Rating? ... The Challenge of 'Lack of Communication'

Approval Rating Nears 40% and Rising
"Consolidation of Traditional Conservative Base, Not Centrist Voters," Analysis
Communication Lapses Still Cited in Negative Evaluations

President Yoon Seok-yeol answering questions from reporters while commuting to the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] President Yoon Seok-yeol's approval rating, which had been stuck in the low 30% range, recently approached 40% in a newly released poll, showing an upward trend. This rise is attributed to his tough response to the Cargo Solidarity general strike and the suspension of doorstepping (Q&A sessions on the way to work), which reduced controversies. However, paradoxically, "lack of communication" was also cited as a reason for negative evaluations, leaving the challenge of how to fill the gap left by the suspension of doorstepping.

According to a survey conducted by Realmeter on behalf of Media Tribune from October 28 to November 2, targeting 2,507 adults nationwide aged 18 and older (confidence level 95%, margin of error ±2.0 percentage points), President Yoon's positive evaluation of his state affairs management was 38.9%, while negative evaluation stood at 58.9%. The positive rating rose by 2.5 percentage points from last week’s 36.4%, marking a two-week consecutive increase. The negative rating fell by 1.9 percentage points from last week’s 60.8%, dropping into the 50% range.

The factor behind President Yoon’s rising approval rating is considered to be his response to labor strikes. Since the Cargo Solidarity began a collective transport refusal on October 24, President Yoon consistently declared a tough stance. On October 29, he issued a work commencement order for the first time in history. It is also reported that in a recent closed-door meeting with aides, President Yoon described the Cargo Solidarity general strike situation as "equivalent to North Korea’s nuclear threat."

The suspension of doorstepping, which had caused various controversies including gaffes, is also analyzed as a factor driving the approval rating increase. Following a verbal dispute between an MBC reporter and a presidential secretary, the Blue House temporarily suspended doorstepping from October 21. According to polls from the same institution, President Yoon’s approval rating remained in the low to mid-30% range from the first week of October until the third week of November before the suspension. After the suspension, it began to rise slightly to the mid to high 30% range.

However, other institutional polls cited lack of communication as a reason for negative evaluations of President Yoon. According to a survey conducted by Korea Gallup from October 29 to November 1 with 1,000 respondents (confidence level 95%, margin of error ±3.1 percentage points), 12% of negative evaluations cited lack of communication as the main reason. Other reasons included "arbitrary and unilateral" (9%), "neglecting economy and people’s livelihood" (9%), and "diplomacy" (8%). Although the suspension of doorstepping led to an increase in approval ratings, critical public opinion regarding communication remains. As a result, some in the political sphere have pointed out the need for changes in the format and content of doorstepping to better fulfill its purpose of communicating with the public.

There is currently no indication that the Blue House is discussing the resumption of doorstepping. According to reports from Yonhap News and other media, the Blue House is considering New Year press conferences as a channel for public communication. While various opinions on improving doorstepping are being heard within the Blue House, no consensus has been reached.

Regarding President Yoon’s rising approval rating, Professor Lee Jun-han of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Incheon National University said, "There are fewer mistakes when meeting the media than before, and the tough response to the strike has helped boost approval ratings," but he diagnosed this as "a consolidation of the traditional conservative base rather than an expansion toward the moderate middle." Professor Lee added, "Relying solely on conservative support will not sustain the upward trend for long. Whether through doorstepping or press conferences, communication that shows humility rather than arrogance remains important."

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