South Korean President Yoon's approval rating hits 10% for the first time - harsh assessment ahead of the halfway point of his term on the 10th of this month

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol's approval rating has fallen to the 10% range for the first time. The issue surrounding Yoon's wife, Kim Gun-Hee, who is being pursued by the opposition party for alleged involvement in stock price manipulation, etc.
Anger and dissatisfaction with his economic policies have led to a drop in his approval rating. South Korean media outlet Maeil Business pointed out, "The public is worried about what kind of driving force he will use to lead the country through the remainder of his term."
According to a survey conducted by the polling company Gallup Korea on the 29th and 30th of last month targeting about 1,000 men and women aged 18 and over, the number of people who answered that they "support" President Yoon's management of state affairs was 10.4% higher than the previous survey.
The number was 19%, down one point from the previous week's survey. In April this year, South Korea held a general election, and the results were seen as a mid-term evaluation of the Yoon administration, but the ruling party that supports the Yoon administration, the People Power Party,
The result was a crushing defeat. The People Power Party won only 108 seats, while the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, won 175 seats. The opposition parties were pushing for constitutional amendments and the impeachment of the president.
Although he did not receive the 200 seats necessary to pass the bill, he was able to continue to control the political situation before the election. After the general election, Yoon's approval rating fell to 21% in the fifth week of May. However,
After that, it gradually recovered, reaching 29% in the third week of July. However, the government's February proposal to increase the number of university medical school admissions as a measure to combat the doctor shortage has also had an impact.
As a result, Yoon's approval rating has begun to decline again, and in a poll released by Gallup Korea on September 13, his approval rating fell to 20%.
And as mentioned above, according to a survey result released by Gallup Korea on the 1st of this month,
Yoon's approval rating fell below 20% for the first time, to 19%. The most common reason for disapproval was "problems surrounding Kim Jin-hee" at 17%, followed by "the economy, people's living standards, and prices" at 14% and "
This was followed by "lack of communication" (7%). Regarding Kim, the chairman of the imported car dealer "Deutsche Motors" was accused of illegally inflating stock prices between 2009 and 2012.
In April 2020, he was indicted by the Open Democratic Party, the predecessor of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, for his involvement in the case. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office questioned Kim in July of this year.
This was the first time that Kim's wife had been questioned by the prosecution. However, last month, the prosecution decided not to indict Kim, saying that it would be difficult to prove that Kim was involved in the crime.
In the same month, the court also dropped charges against Kim for allegedly receiving a luxury brand bag from an acquaintance.
The feud with Chairman Han Dong-hoon also came to light. Yoon's term is halfway over on the 10th of this month, but suspicions have now surfaced about him as well. The Democratic Party of Korea has announced that Yoon will be the next president in May 2022.
The phone call he allegedly had with a political broker on the day before his inauguration was revealed, raising suspicions that he had illegally interfered in the national elections that year. The Democratic Party of Korea has stepped up its investigation into the allegations, and has also announced that it will support Yoon.
This could lead to a further decline in his approval rating. Regarding his approval rating dropping to the teens, South Korean media outlet News 1 pointed out that "his lame duck status has become a reality."
"Unless there is some turning point, the remaining term will be a long and difficult road. There is no guarantee that the current approval rating will hit rock bottom," said Se. "A major reshuffle of the presidential office and cabinet, the
"I hope they will come up with a positive solution to the problem. That is the will of the people," he said. The Hankyoreh, a South Korean newspaper that is critical of the current administration, published a column by its editorial writer.
"We are in a political situation where people have no qualms about talking about impeaching the president or shortening his term," he said, adding about the allegations against Yoon, "The public is buzzing, wondering if he will be impeached if things continue like this."
"Is he going to spend the remaining two and a half years hearing about 'term reduction or impeachment' every day?" he said, adding, "I wonder if he will lose his authority and credibility as president."
With the economy at rock bottom, what can President Yoon do? If things continue like this, the only options left are 1) a failed presidential election, 2) resignation, or 3) impeachment."