NewKerala.com

Key Points

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is experiencing a significant drop in public support following controversial political pardons. The National Barometer Survey revealed his approval rating fell to 57%, with negative assessments climbing to 33%. More than half of respondents disapproved of Lee's decision to pardon high-profile figures like Cho Kuk and Youn Mee-hyang. The ruling Democratic Party's support has also declined, reflecting growing public dissatisfaction with current leadership.

Key Points: Lee Jae Myung Approval Drops Amid Controversial Political Pardons

  • Presidential approval declines 8 percentage points in recent poll
  • Negative assessments surge past 30% for first time
  • Lee's special pardons draw significant public criticism
  • Democratic Party support falls to 40%
2 min read

South Korean President Lee's approval rating falls to 57 per cent

South Korean President Lee's approval rating plummets to 57% following controversial pardons of high-profile political figures

"Public sentiment is shifting rapidly against presidential decisions - National Barometer Survey Analysis"

Seoul, Aug 21

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell to 57 per cent, a survey showed on Thursday, amid negative sentiment over his special pardons for political figures.

In a National Barometer Survey (NBS) conducted from Monday to Wednesday, the positive assessment of Lee's performance declined 8 percentage points from the previous poll conducted two weeks ago, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The negative assessment of Lee rose 9 percentage points to 33 per cent, surpassing the 30 per cent mark for the first time in NBS polls.

The approval rating for the ruling Democratic Party fell 4 percentage points to 40 per cent.

Support for the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) added 3 percentage points to 19 per cent, slightly rebounding after hitting a record low of 16 per cent in the previous survey. The approval rating for the PPP has remained below 20 per cent for seven consecutive weeks.

In the same survey, 54 per cent of the respondents gave a negative assessment of Lee's special pardon of high-profile figures on Liberation Day last week, including former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and former Rep. Youn Mee-hyang.

Cho, who formerly headed the Rebuilding Korea Party and had served as a justice minister in 2019, was serving a two-year prison term after the Supreme Court in December upheld his conviction for academic fraud involving his children and unlawful interference with a government inspection. He was released from prison last Friday.

Youn was convicted of embezzling funds donated to help support women who were forced into wartime sexual slavery by Japan during World War II.

The survey was conducted by pollsters Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research on 1,001 people aged 18 and older.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
️ 57% is still quite high by Indian political standards! But pardoning someone who embezzled funds meant for wartime victims? That's just morally wrong. Hope President Lee reconsiders such decisions.
A
Aman W
Interesting to see how quickly public opinion can shift. From 65% to 57% in just two weeks shows that citizens everywhere are watching closely and won't tolerate questionable decisions.
S
Sarah B
The opposition party gaining some ground is good for democracy. Healthy competition keeps the ruling party in check. Hope South Korea's political scene becomes more balanced.
V
Vikram M
Special pardons for political allies while common people face the full force of the law? Sounds familiar across many democracies. Public anger is justified.
N
Nikhil C
The academic fraud case involving children is particularly disappointing. When leaders cheat the system for their family's benefit, it sets a terrible example for the entire nation.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50