Gimpo-Seoul Merger, 55.5% Oppose... Yoon's Approval Rating Rises

Survey of 1,000 Nationwide Respondents Shows Only 33% Support
Only TK (Daegu·Gyeongbuk) Region Shows Higher Support Rate
Support Rates for Yoon and People Power Party Both Increase

A public opinion survey conducted on the government's and ruling party's plan to incorporate Gimpo City into Seoul showed that opposition exceeded the majority.

CBS No Cut News released the results of a related public opinion survey commissioned to R&Search on the 5th. The survey showed that 55.5% of respondents opposed the Gimpo-Seoul incorporation. Among them, 37.2% said they were "strongly opposed," and 18.3% said they were "somewhat opposed." On the other hand, only 33% responded in favor ("strongly in favor" 21.1%, "somewhat in favor" 11.9%).

The survey was conducted over three days from the 1st to the 3rd, targeting 1,008 men and women nationwide aged 18 and older. The sample was extracted by proportional allocation according to population composition by gender, age group, and region, using a structured questionnaire and 100% automated response via wireless phone RDD. By age group, opposition rates were high across all age groups for both men and women. By region, opposition rates exceeded 60% in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, all related to the incorporation area, and 59% of the moderate group also responded that they opposed it.

A banner related to the incorporation of Gimpo-Seoul hanging on the streets of Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, in TK (Daegu and Gyeongbuk), the approval rate (44.8%) was the only one higher than the opposition rate (40.4%). The percentage of respondents who answered "don't know" was 11.5%.

President Yoon Seok-yeol's approval rating was surveyed at 39.1%, up 4.9 percentage points from last week. By age group, it rose in all age groups except those in their 20s, and by region, it increased by 15.7 percentage points in the Chungcheong area and 12.3 percentage points in TK. It also rose by 9.7 percentage points in Seoul.

Negative evaluations were still higher than positive ones at 58.9%, but decreased by 4.4 percentage points compared to last week. In particular, negative evaluations among the moderate group decreased by 7.4 percentage points.

The People Power Party's party support rate also rose by 4 percentage points from last week to 39.6%. Support increased especially among those in their 30s and in TK. On the other hand, the Democratic Party saw a sharp decline in support among people in their 30s and 40s and in the Chungcheong area, dropping 7.2 percentage points to 43.9%. As a result, the gap in support rates between the two parties narrowed to 4.3 percentage points (compared to 15.5 percentage points last week).

R&Search analyzed, "As the effect of the by-election for Gangseo District Mayor disappeared last month, the Democratic Party's support base loosened, while the conservative base, feeling a sense of crisis, consolidated and support rose mainly in TK."

For more details, please refer to the website of the Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

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