People Power Party Approval at Record Low 15%... Jang Donghyuk Questions If Resignation Before Election Would Help

Jang Donghyuk Holds Press Conference at National Assembly on April 24

"Is Resignation True Responsibility with 40 Days Left Until Local Elections?"

Conservative "Concrete Base" Weakening

Nomination Conflicts and Excessive US Trip Cited as Issues

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, drew a line regarding the possibility of resignation, despite the party's approval rating dropping to 15%, the lowest since its founding. Even as signs of cracks are emerging among the conservative base in Daegu and North Gyeongsang (TK), Jang is determined to lead the party through the 9th nationwide local elections under his leadership.

On the morning of April 24, Jang held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, "I will reflect on the reasons for the low approval rating," adding, "However, with only 40 days left until the local elections, I will consider whether the resignation of the party leader is truly an act of full responsibility, and whether it would genuinely help achieve victory in the election."

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, is conducting a briefing on current issues at the National Assembly on April 24, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

According to the National Barometer Survey (NBS) conducted by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research from April 20 to 22 among 1,005 adults aged 18 and older nationwide, the approval rating for the People Power Party was 15%, while the Democratic Party of Korea recorded 48%.

Political circles interpret this figure as a signal that even the party's traditional support base is wavering, given that the core 'conservative concrete base' is generally viewed as being around 20%. Assemblywoman Bae Hyunjin said on CBS Radio that "many lawmakers, district party heads, and party members are responding indifferently, having somewhat anticipated this trend," and pointed out that "this is the result of accumulated avoidance of responsibility and lack of response from the party leadership."

In particular, the emergence of nomination conflicts in key support bases such as Daegu and North Gyeongsang (TK) is cited as a major factor behind the drop in approval ratings. Additionally, the weakening of the party's control is analyzed to have played a role, as independent election campaign committees have been formed in various regions ahead of the election, and the possibility of some candidates running as independents has been raised. Criticism has also mounted regarding Jang's excessive schedule in the United States just before the election.

This has led to controversy over Jang's position as party leader. Assemblyman Joo Ho-young, who declared he would not run after being cut off from the Daegu mayoral nomination, stated, "One must know when to move forward and when to step back." Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon and candidate Kim Jin-tae also pressured Jang, respectively stating that "it is a time for self-restraint" and "those who tie the knot must untie it themselves."

Within political circles, some view the current decline in approval ratings not as a simple fluctuation but as a sign of weakened trust in the overall management of the party. There is analysis that, ahead of the election, nomination conflicts are leading to the departure of supporters, which in turn fuels further calls for the leadership to take responsibility, creating a vicious cycle. A member of the leadership aligned with the party's mainstream said, "The atmosphere within the party is one of frustrating lethargy," but added, "However, there are no disagreements among the Supreme Council members regarding Jang's position as party leader."

Meanwhile, the aforementioned opinion poll was conducted using a wireless telephone interview method. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and the response rate was 17.7%. For more details, refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

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