Despite 'Choo's Son Controversy,' Ruling Party's Approval Rises... People Power Party Falls to 20% Range [Realmeter]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The ruling People Power Party's approval rating has fallen below 30% for the first time in 10 weeks amid their aggressive accusations regarding alleged special treatment during military service for Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's son. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea has successfully rebounded after three weeks. Analysts suggest that the opposition party's offensive has not significantly impacted party approval ratings. President Moon Jae-in's approval rating for his administration also rose slightly, showing signs of recovery.

According to a poll conducted by Realmeter commissioned by tbs from the 14th to the 16th, the Democratic Party's approval rating increased by 2.4 percentage points from the previous week's average to 35.7%, announced on the 17th. The People Power Party's rating dropped by 3.4 percentage points to 29.3%. The gap between the two major parties widened to 6.4 percentage points, exceeding the margin of error. Additionally, the Open Democratic Party, the Justice Party, and the People’s Party each recorded a 5.7% approval rating, tying for fourth place.

The Democratic Party rebounded after three weeks, climbing back into the mid-30% range. The overall increase in approval was driven by support from the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (PK) region, Honam, people in their 20s, and moderate voters. By region, Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam saw a 9.4 percentage point increase, while Gwangju and Jeolla rose by 4.1 percentage points.

Conversely, the People Power Party's approval rating declined among metropolitan area residents, women, people in their 20s and 40s, and progressive and moderate voters. Regionally, notable decreases were seen in Gyeonggi and Incheon (down 4.3 percentage points) and Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (down 4.2 percentage points).

The Democratic Party's rebound is interpreted as a response from the public, who had been fatigued by COVID-19 restrictions, following the recent easing of social distancing to level 2. Additionally, the consolidation of the party’s support base due to allegations of special military leave for Minister Choo’s son appears to have influenced the rise.

President Moon's approval rating for his administration rose by 0.8 percentage points to 46.4% compared to the previous week. Negative evaluations increased by 0.3 percentage points to 50.3%.

Support among people in their 20s increased by 4.3 percentage points, showing some recovery, and positive evaluations also rose among office workers (up 4.0 percentage points) and students (up 3.1 percentage points). However, approval declined among conservatives (down 7.1 percentage points) and self-employed individuals (down 3.1 percentage points).

This survey contacted 27,608 voters aged 18 and over nationwide, with a final response of 1,512 participants, resulting in a 5.5% response rate. The sampling error is ±2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.