[AKYUNG Poll] "Daejangdong Lee Jae-myung Responsible" 58.2% "Gobalsaju Yoon Seok-yeol Responsible" 45.6% (Summary)

Responsibility Debate Grows Stronger Over Time

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] The special prosecutor (special investigation) proposals concerning the Daejang-dong development and the alleged report-for-prosecution scandal target Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party presidential candidate, respectively. In both issues, more citizens believe that ‘Lee Jae-myung (Yoon Seok-yeol) is responsible’ than those who do not.

First, 58.2% of respondents believe that candidate Lee bears significant responsibility for the preferential treatment allegations in the Daejang-dong development. In contrast, 33.3% attribute responsibility to the People Power Party, and 8.5% answered that they do not know.

Compared to the previous survey conducted in the fourth week of October, the response that ‘candidate Lee is largely responsible’ increased by 4.5 percentage points, while those attributing responsibility to the People Power Party decreased by 4.2 percentage points. Both ruling and opposition parties are framing the issue as the other side’s responsibility, but over time, public opinion is increasingly supporting the ‘Lee Jae-myung responsibility theory.’ Amid no progress in investigations involving former special prosecutor Park Young-soo and former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il, the recent arrest of former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu appears to have influenced this trend. The opinion that ‘candidate Lee is largely responsible’ was high across most age groups and regions except for those in their 40s (43.0%) and the Honam region (25.3%). It was particularly strong among those in their 20s (68.8%) and those aged 60 and above (69.7%), as well as in Seoul (68.4%) and the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region (67.3%).

Regarding the prosecution’s alleged report-for-prosecution scandal, public opinion also favored holding candidate Yoon responsible. The question asked was, ‘Regarding the allegation that the prosecution instructed the predecessor of the People Power Party, the United Future Party, to file complaints against ruling party figures, and the responsibility of candidate Yoon, who was then the Prosecutor General, how do you view this?’ In response, 45.6% said ‘candidate Yoon is responsible,’ 37.3% said he is not, and 17.2% answered that they do not know.

Opinions on candidate Yoon’s responsibility varied by generation and region. The response that Yoon is responsible was high among those in their 30s (58.1%) and 40s (60.4%), while those who said he is not responsible were higher among those aged 60 and above (53.8%). Regionally, responses indicating responsibility were higher in Gyeonggi and Incheon (51.0%) and the Honam region (75.8%). Supporters of the Democratic Party overwhelmingly held this view (82.8%). Conversely, responses indicating no responsibility were higher in Seoul (46.2%), Daegu-Gyeongbuk (50.3%), and among People Power Party supporters (63.2%).