"Never Before Had There Been No One to Choose Like This"...Voters Growing More Concerned Amid Various Allegations and Repeated Gaffes by Presidential Candidates

Presidential Candidates More 'Disliked' Than 'Liked' in Polls
"Involvement in Crime and Authoritarian Remarks Undermine Trust"

From the left, Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province; Yoon Seok-youl, former Prosecutor General; Hong Joon-pyo, member of the People Power Party.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] As the next presidential election approaches next year, competition between the ruling and opposition parties is intensifying, yet many people respond that there is "no one to vote for" as the next president. Various suspicions about the presidential candidates are emerging daily, and some citizens feel fatigued due to the candidates' inappropriate remarks and gaffes.

Experts point out that the behaviors of presidential candidates, such as allegations of involvement in crimes or ongoing investigations, offensive language, and authoritarian remarks, fail to inspire trust.

Although the election is just over five months away, many citizens are still undecided about which party's candidate to support. Seo, a 30-year-old office worker, said, "This person is no good because of this, that person made this mistake, and when you scrutinize them, there really is no candidate left." He added, "While no candidate can be perfect, at least they should show an attitude of apology or reflection when they make mistakes, but all I remember is them getting angry when criticized."

Park, a 20-year-old who supported the People Power Party, said, "I thought a regime change was absolutely necessary this time, so I planned to vote for former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who has the highest approval rating among opposition candidates, but after seeing several gaffes and mistakes, including remarks defending Jeon Du-hwan, my opinion changed." He lamented, "But none of the other opposition candidates really appeal to me either. There is no candidate who genuinely shows a will to care for people's livelihoods and the economy."

The mixed feelings of citizens regarding this presidential election are also reflected in surveys. According to a poll conducted by Gallup Korea from the 5th to the 7th among 1,000 adults nationwide asking "Who do you think is good as the next president," 26% responded with "undecided." This means one in four respondents still have "no preferred candidate."

There are also surveys showing that the "dislike rate" of presidential candidates is higher than their "favorability." According to the National Barometer Survey (NBS) conducted by four organizations?Embrain Public, K-Stat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research?from the 18th to the 20th among 1,003 people nationwide, the favorability and unfavorability ratings of the top three candidates were as follows: Democratic Party candidate Governor Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province at 42% favorability and 56% unfavorability; People Power Party candidate former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol at 40% favorability and 58% unfavorability; and Representative Hong Joon-pyo at 44% favorability and 54% unfavorability.

On the afternoon of the 20th, candidates posed before the joint debate for the People Power Party's presidential primary candidates from Daegu and Gyeongbuk held at Daegu MBC. From the left, Hong Jun-pyo, Won Hee-ryong, Yoo Seung-min, and Yoon Seok-youl. Photo by Yonhap News.

The high unfavorability ratings of the major presidential candidates are partly due to fierce competition and disputes as the election approaches, but many believe it is mainly because various controversies, including suspicions and verbal missteps, keep emerging nonstop.

Governor Lee has received negative evaluations regarding morality due to past drunk driving convictions, profanity scandals, and actress scandals. Additionally, the Daejang-dong development project conducted during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam is under prosecution investigation for allegations of corruption and preferential treatment, which negatively affects his approval ratings.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon is also under suspicion for allegations including his involvement in the accusation fabrication scandal, and his mother-in-law and wife are suspected of crimes such as stock manipulation. Since officially starting his presidential campaign, Yoon has frequently been criticized for verbal blunders, earning the nickname "one gaffe a day." Recently, he expressed regret and apologized for the controversy over his remarks defending former President Jeon Du-hwan, but many criticized the apology as insincere because it came belatedly after public backlash.

Representative Hong also faces lingering negative perceptions due to past sexist and offensive remarks. Recently, he drew criticism for using harsh expressions toward competing candidates within his party, such as "I can't even beat them up" and "They are shameless and arrogantly insolent."

Many citizens have posted on online communities and social networking services (SNS) expressing frustration that "there is no one to vote for." One netizen said, "This is really the first time for such a presidential election," adding, "All the candidates are more or less the same, so it's hard to even choose the lesser evil. I wonder if there really is an honest and competent candidate."

Experts evaluated that presidential candidates fail to gain trust due to allegations related to crimes or ongoing investigations, authoritarian remarks, and verbal blunders.

Professor Lee Jun-han of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Incheon National University said, "Unlike past presidential elections, the top one or two candidates are suspected of involvement in crimes or ongoing investigations and often display authoritarian behavior. Public opinion commonly feels that there is no candidate who offers hope, comfort, or trust in this election." He added, "Especially since the top three candidates are all legal professionals, it is problematic that they either break the law or are suspected of doing so, yet they ignore it and are reluctant to properly reflect or apologize."

He continued, "For example, a minister cannot be appointed if they have a criminal record such as drunk driving. However, it is contradictory for a president with legal issues to appoint ministers. It is also problematic that political parties fail to properly screen such candidates and accept them. We need to consider establishing a system that fundamentally disqualifies candidates with criminal allegations from running."