Wednesday, 15 January 2025

Yoon’s approval surged since declaring martial law; Lee quietly meets with Chinese reporters

World Tribune
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by WorldTribune Staff, January 12, 2025 Real World News

South Korea President Yoon Suk-Yeol’s approval rating, and that of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) he leads, has surged in the weeks since he declared martial law on Dec. 3.

A public opinion poll conducted by the Public Opinion Survey Fair on Jan. 7-9 shows Yoon’s approval rating had risen 12 percentage points in two weeks to 42.4%.

DPK leader Lee Jae-Myung, left, and President Yoon Suk-Yeol

The approval rating for Yoon, who was impeached by the opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Dec. 14 and is awaiting the Constitutional Court’s decision on whether or not he is removed from office, has surpassed 40% approval in the Seoul area and in the 2030 generation, marking the highest approval rating for the president since the impeachment bill was passed.

According to the nationwide poll of 1,003 people aged 18 or older, 42.4% responded that they “support President Yoon” while 55.8% responded that they “do not support President Yoon.”

Compared to the poll conducted two weeks prior, the number of “support” responses increased by 12.0 percentage points, while the number of “do not support” responses decreased by 12.4 percentage points.

The PPP had 41% approval rating in the poll, compared to 38.9% for the DPK. Compared to the previous survey, the PPP rose 10.7% and the DPK fell 5.2%. The poll marks the first time since the first week of November 2024 that the PPP surpassed the opposition party in approval ratings.

The head of the Public Opinion Survey Fair polling agency said Yoon’s approval is surging among South Koreans in their 20s and 30s while conservatives are also reinforcing their support.

“Conservatives are also uniting due to past impeachment trauma and learning effects. As antipathy toward Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-Myung increases, support for the president is increasing,” Seo Yo-Han said.

Lee Jun-Han, a professor at Incheon National University, said: “The DPK’s unprecedented decision to impeach the president may have fueled concerns about its capacity to govern.”

Inflammatory remarks by DPK leaders, including statements such as “Yoon will face the death penalty” and “Arrest him even if it costs a bullet,” have likely alienated moderate voters. Political consultant Park Sung-Min noted: “The DPK bears significant responsibility for pushing the political situation to this point with its unchecked power,” adding, “Unlike during the 2017 impeachment of Park Geun-Hye, the DPK is no longer seen as a viable alternative by centrist or unaffiliated voters.”

Yoon’s refusal to comply with a summons or a potential arrest warrant appears to reflect an awareness of these shifting dynamics.

Lee, the DPK’s leader who is seen as the party’s top presidential hopeful should Yoon be removed from office, met recently with a group of foreign reporters, mostly from China, East Asia Research Center’s Tara O reported:

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Yoon’s approval surged since declaring martial law; Lee quietly meets with Chinese reporters added by on January 12, 2025
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