S.Korean President's approval rating falls to 34.1%

Seoul, Sep 6 (IANS) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating has fallen to 34.1 per cent from a month ago, according to a survey published on Wednesday.

According to the survey, jointly conducted jointly by Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance was 34.1 per cent, a 3.9 percentage-point fall from the previous survey conducted a month ago, while the negative assessment gained 5.7 percentage points to 58 per cent.

The survey identified defence and diplomacy as the most frequently cited factors in both positive and negative assessments of his performance.

In terms of age demographics, the poll showed that the President's positive assessment declined across all age brackets, notably among those in their 30s, dropping from 29.5 per cent in the previous poll to 22.9 percent.

Regionally, the positive assessment of respondents living in Seoul, and the southern cities of Busan and Ulsan increased by 5.3 and 2.7 percentage points, respectively.

In contrast, the positive assessment of respondents living in Daejeon and Daegu decreased by 12.2 and 11.1 percentage points, respectively.

The poll also indicated a close race between the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) in the April 2024 general elections.

Support for the PPP decreased by 0.8 percentage point from the previous survey, while backing for the DP increased by 2.5 percentage points.

The survey showed that 2.3 per cent of respondents would choose candidates from the minor opposition Justice Party, while 18 per cent had no preference for candidates.

In detail, 74.1 per cent of respondents with a positive assessment of Yoon's performance said they would vote for PPP candidates, while 47.9 per cent of those with a negative assessment of Yoon's performance favored DP candidates for parliamentary seats.

Regarding the trilateral summit held at the Camp David presidential retreat in the US last month between leaders of South Korea, the US and Japan, opinions were divided, with 45.1 per cent giving a positive assessment and 44.8 per cent giving a negative assessment.

The poll showed that 70.8 per cent of conservative respondents believed the summit would strengthen national security, while 68.3 per cent of progressive respondents believed it would not be helpful.

Regarding the possibility of executing the death penalty in light of a series of heinous crimes targeting random people, 74.3 per cent were in support, and 22.3 per cent were in opposition.