[AKYUNG Poll] Yoon Seok-yeol's Approval Rating Surges After Stepping Outside the Door

Yoon Seok-yeol Begins External Activities, Support Rises Amid Corruption Investigation
Leading Candidate in Next Presidential Election Polls

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Support for former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol has surged. This rise in approval appears to be driven by his commencement of external activities and public backlash against the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA) launching an investigation into him.

Asia Economy commissioned Win-Gi Korea Consulting to conduct a public opinion poll from the 12th to 13th, surveying 1,017 voters aged 18 and older nationwide (100% mobile phone virtual numbers, automated response). In the next presidential candidate preference (candidate listing method), former Prosecutor General Yoon ranked first with 33.3%. Second place was Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, with 28.3%. The gap between the two candidates was 5 percentage points, within the margin of error (±3.1%).

In a poll conducted by Asia Economy through Win-Gi Korea Consulting on the 29th-30th of last month (surveying 1,045 voters aged 18 and older nationwide, with a margin of error of ±3.0% at a 95% confidence level, using wireless ARS with 100% mobile phone virtual numbers), Lee was ahead of Yoon by 0.2 percentage points within the margin of error. Over two weeks, Yoon’s support rose by 6.0 percentage points, while Lee’s increased by only 0.8 percentage points, resulting in a reversal of rankings.

Recently, former Prosecutor General Yoon has increased his external activities, attending events such as the opening ceremony of the Lee Hoe-young Memorial Hall located in Namsan Yejang Park, Jung-gu, Seoul. He has also strengthened his public relations team by appointing former Chosun Ilbo editorial writer Lee Dong-hoon and Lee Sang-rok, Public Relations Officer of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, as spokespersons, signaling preparations for full-scale political activities.

Additionally, the HCIA’s investigation into Yoon has acted as a favorable factor. As a leading opposition presidential candidate, Yoon appears to be under persecution by the current administration, which has increased the likelihood of opposition supporters rallying around him.

Following Yoon and Lee as suitable candidates for the next president were former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon (10.0%), independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo (3.9%), People’s Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo (3.2%), and former People’s Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min (2.7%).

Yoon showed strength among older voters aged 60 and above and in traditional People Power Party strongholds such as Daegu-Gyeongbuk and Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam. Lee led among voters in their 30s and 40s and in traditional Democratic Party strongholds such as the Honam region.

Among People Power Party supporters, support for former Prosecutor General Yoon was overwhelming, followed by lawmaker Hong (7.4%), Lee (5.3%), former lawmaker Yoo (4.0%), and Audit Office Chief Choi Jae-hyung (3.8%). Among Democratic Party supporters, Lee led with 54.7%, followed by former leader Lee Nak-yeon (21.7%), Yoon (6.7%), and former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun (3.9%).

▶How was the survey conducted?

This survey was conducted by Asia Economy through Win-Gi Korea Consulting targeting voters aged 18 and older nationwide from the 12th to 13th, with 1,017 respondents and an overall response rate of 10.9%. The survey method was wireless ARS using 100% mobile phone virtual numbers. The sample was extracted using weighted values by gender, age, and region based on the resident registration population as of the end of January 2021 from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (cell weighting). The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For detailed survey information, please refer to the Win-Gi Korea Consulting website or the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.