"How to Win the General Election with These Approval Ratings..." Ruling Party Issues Pointed Out Outside the Assembly

Yoo Seung-min and Yoon Hee-sook Criticize Ruling Party's Declining Approval Ratings
Harsh Words on Pro-Yoon Party's Policy Message Failures

The leadership of the People Power Party is struggling with the 'Jeon Gwang-hoon risk' and repeated controversies involving Supreme Council members. As the party fails to maintain its center and faces criticism of a 'leadership crisis,' politicians outside the National Assembly have voiced harsh criticism.

With the general election just over a year away, the situation of the People Power Party as seen from outside the Assembly is failing grade. Concerns and worried sighs pour out, questioning, "How can they run the general election with these approval ratings?"

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min said the cause of the People Power Party's declining approval ratings is "President Yoon Seok-yeol's responsibility." He pointed out that the party had already gone down the wrong path since the March 8 party convention, when controversy over President Yoon's intervention in party affairs arose.

Appearing on CBS Radio's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One Match,' Yoo said, "They changed the party convention rules to take 100% control of the party and sidelined this person and that person," adding, "Representative Kim Ki-hyun and the elected Supreme Council members were chosen by party member votes 100% according to the president's intentions." He continued, "For example, the Supreme Council members made controversial remarks related to May 18, Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, April 3, and 'one bowl of rice.' Did they not know they would be such people when they were elected?" He said it was not an accidental mistake but a risk that had already been foreseen.

Yoo warned, "In 2016 (during the general election), when President Park Geun-hye stubbornly insisted on pro-Park factions, it was exactly this situation," adding, "If the president's approval rating continues to hover around 30% like now, and there are far more people wanting to elect the opposition, it will be very difficult to run the general election with this leadership and these approval ratings."

Former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook also joined the criticism. Yoon pointed out that the People Power Party "always talks about 'bulletproof' (immunity)" and said the party is losing to the Democratic Party in policies and messaging.

On SBS's 'News Briefing,' Yoon said that public opinion was unfavorable regarding President Yoon's veto of the Grain Management Act because it was "a thorough failure of communication between the government, ruling party, and the people," adding, "(The government and ruling party) failed to sufficiently explain and make people understand the situation that made the veto necessary."

Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

In this situation, a Supreme Council member of the party provided the opposition with grounds for attack by making controversial remarks such as proposing to "finish one bowl of rice," and the party's response was also criticized as inappropriate.

He said, "If one is a member of the ruling party responsible for national governance, they should have done their utmost to save the Grain Act issue, which was at risk of being ridiculed, but they mocked the remarks and further ridiculed the issue. At this point, it is natural that public opinion on the Grain Act is negative."

Some voices point out the party's internal structure that fails to produce self-reflection. In the last People Power Party convention, which was conducted with 100% party member votes, all non-Yoon faction figures who criticized the party internally failed to enter the leadership. In effect, an atmosphere has formed within the ruling party where it is difficult to raise voices that differ from the party line.

As a result, the harsh criticism from outside politicians like former lawmakers Yoo and Yoon is gaining attention. Regarding why she voices criticism, former lawmaker Yoon said, "I am sparing my harsh words. In principle, the 'red team' checks the opponent's position before the official announcement, but I am criticizing from outside after the official announcement," adding, "The presidential office and ruling party need to properly form a red team internally."

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