Gallup Korea Poll Results from 15th to 17th
Yoon Suk Yeol’s Approval Rating Falls by 1% to 22%
“63% Support Special Investigation into Kim Geon-hee” Amid highlighting issues related to First Lady Kim Geon-hee, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s approval rating dropped slightly, remaining in the low 20s. Six out of ten respondents in the survey said a special investigation should be launched about the First Lady.
According to a Gallup Korea poll released on the 18th (conducted from the 15th to the 17th with 1,001 adults nationwide via interviews with mobile phone surveyors), President Yoon’s approval rating fell by 1% to 22% compared to the survey from three weeks ago. Negative ratings rose by 1% to 69%.
Gallup explained that “the response that President Yoon is doing well mostly came from People Power Party supporters (56%), while the view that he is doing poorly was prevalent among Democratic Party and Progressive Party supporters (over 90%), and those in their 40s (86%).” Within the conservative base, 38% thought he was doing well, while 56% thought he was not.
Earlier, President Yoon recorded a post-inauguration low of 20% in the second week of September, followed by a rebound to 23% in the third week. The latest survey conducted three weeks later showed little change in public opinion. (Gallup did not conduct its regular weekly poll during the holidays of the first and second weeks of October.)
However, reasons for supporting or opposing the president changed. Among the 218 people who evaluated him positively, 36% cited diplomacy, and 7% cited defense and security. This is likely due to security issues like North Korea’s demolition of the Kaesong-Donghae line connection road. Among the 695 respondents who rated him negatively, 15% cited the economy, livelihoods, and inflation. An additional 14% pointed to the “Kim Geon-hee issue.” Gallup noted that compared to three weeks ago, the reason for negative ratings due to the increase of medical schools decreased, while mentions of the Kim Geon-hee issue increased.
When asked whether a special investigation should be launched regarding Kim Geon-hee’s allegations, 63% said it should be introduced, while 26% said it was unnecessary. Within the People Power Party supporters, 25% were in favor of the investigation, whereas 63% were against it. Among conservatives, the opinions were almost split, with 47% for and 46% against.
Regarding Kim Geon-hee’s public activities, 67% of total respondents said they should be reduced. Nineteen percent said the current level was appropriate, and only 4% thought her activities should increase. Notably, 53% of People Power Party supporters and 63% of conservatives expressed that her public appearances should be reduced.
Kim Bong-shin, director at Metavoice, stated, “Issues related to Kim Geon-hee are significantly influencing the negative evaluation of the president. While there is opposition to a special investigation, the reaction of People Power Party and conservatives to reduce external activities is noteworthy.” He added, “While security concerns due to North Korean issues could rally sensitive groups and impact approval ratings, it seems limited in raising the approval rates alone.”
In terms of party support, People Power Party’s support fell by 3% to 28%, Democratic Party’s support decreased by 2% to 30%. The Progressive Party stood at 8%, and independents at 27%. For more details, please refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.