Banners Removed by Ruling Party vs Opposition Praising Government... Shift to Capturing the Centrist Vote

People Power Party Plans to Remove Political Dispute Banners
Democratic Party Continues to Release Government Praise Messages
Experts Say "Positive for Centrist Voters"

The ruling and opposition parties, which had been in extreme confrontation, quickly shifted their stance after the by-election for the mayor of Gangseo District, Seoul. The People Power Party removed banners related to political disputes and decided to disband the task force (TF) that could provoke political conflict, while the Democratic Party continued its critical tone toward the government and ruling party but also showed an unusual gesture of praise on some issues. Both parties, reflecting on the Gangseo District mayoral election results, seem to be refraining from exhausting political disputes to expand the centrist voter base.

On the 20th, Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, urged at the National Assembly audit countermeasures meeting, "During the audit, I ask the standing committee secretaries to focus not on the Democratic Party as the opponent but on the people, approaching the audit from the perspective that the people are watching." Earlier, the People Power Party decided at the Supreme Council meeting the previous day to remove banners containing political disputes, and on the morning of the same day, they took down banners located at the southern end of Seogang Bridge in Seoul. They also set a policy to disband the internal task force related to political disputes.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This change began within the party's messaging as appointed party officials were replaced following the defeat in the Gangseo District mayoral election. Since Park Jeong-ha, the senior spokesperson of the People Power Party, took office, the party's official statements have significantly decreased, and criticism toward the opposition has also softened. Until now, the People Power Party had focused its efforts on criticizing the Democratic Party and its leader Lee Jae-myung to the extent of 'everything leads to Lee Jae-myung.' However, after confirming through the election that this strategy was ineffective, they appear to have changed their approach.

Signs of change are also emerging within the Democratic Party, which won the Gangseo District mayoral election. While leader Lee has not returned to party affairs due to health recovery after fasting, Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the Democratic Party leading the party, has unusually issued messages praising the government and ruling party. This is a different stance compared to the opposition's previously aggressive posture. For example, on the 19th, Hong proposed, regarding the 60,000 won Climate Companion Card announced by Seoul City, "I fully support it," and suggested, "Seoul City, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon City should discuss and implement practical support measures to ease the burden of public transportation costs in the metropolitan area." The day before, he expressed "principled support" for the government's and ruling party's plan to expand medical school quotas, stating, "The Democratic Party is ready to cooperate with an open mind on good policy proposals from the government and ruling party." On the 16th, he also expressed "gratitude" for the government's use of military transport planes to repatriate citizens staying in Israel.

Experts evaluate these moves by both parties as targeting the 'centrist voter sentiment,' but they also suggest that more tangible actions should follow since this is just the first step. Choi Byung-chun, director of the New Growth Economy Research Institute, said, "Expanding the centrist base is synonymous with complementing weaknesses and innovation," and added, "Both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party have weak images, so these series of moves are positive in that regard." However, Choi noted, "This is just the first button, and more proactive efforts are needed," and said, "For the government and ruling party, a clear signal to the centrist voters would be the withdrawal of the plan to relocate General Hong Beom-do's statue."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Bong-shin, CEO of Metavoice, said, "It is clear that both parties are showing good movements, but that does not mean political disputes have disappeared," and added, "If these movements lead to tangible actions, there should first be a cooperative atmosphere between the ruling and opposition parties focusing on people's livelihoods." Kim evaluated, "For the public, the sight of politicians grabbing each other's collars and fighting has become tiresome," and said, "These efforts could be seen positively by the people."

Meanwhile, in Gallup's own poll (conducted from the 17th to 19th, targeting 1,000 adults nationwide), the People Power Party's approval rating dropped by 1 percentage point to 33%, breaking the tie from the previous week, while the Democratic Party led with 34%, surpassing the People Power Party for the first time since the fifth week of June. President Yoon Seok-youl's approval rating also fell by 3 percentage points to 30%. For detailed survey methodology and results related to the poll, please refer to the website of the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission.

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