"The President Is Still Working"
"Saying He Will Do His Best Until the Last Day Is Not Just Rhetoric"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Tak Hyunmin, Protocol Secretary at the Blue House, analyzed that the reason President Moon Jae-in maintains a relatively high approval rating in the 40% range even toward the end of his term is because "there is still hope."
Secretary Tak appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Youngil's Current Affairs Headquarters' on the afternoon of the 24th and said, "President Moon is continuing a somewhat unusual record. He is the first president without a lame-duck period."
According to a weekly regular public opinion poll conducted by the polling agency 'Realmeter' on behalf of OhmyNews from the 16th to the 21st, surveying 3,046 people nationwide aged 18 and over, President Moon's approval rating for state affairs stood at 41.0%, an increase of 0.7 percentage points from the previous week.
The percentage of respondents who answered "poorly" decreased by 1.6 percentage points to 55.1%. President Moon's approval rating has remained in the 40% range for eight consecutive weeks since rising to 40.5% in the first week of December last year.
This is also the highest approval rating for state governance at the end of a term among all presidents elected since the introduction of direct presidential elections.
Regarding this, when asked by the host, "What do you think is the driving force behind the approval rating in the 40% range?" Secretary Tak said, "There can be various interpretations, but the biggest reason is that the president continues to work," adding, "In fact, it is difficult to actively push things forward toward the end of a term, but the president keeps moving."
President Moon Jae-in, who completed a tour of three Middle Eastern countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, is seen waving his hand while boarding Air Force One with First Lady Kim Jung-sook at Cairo International Airport, Egypt, on the 21st (local time). / Photo by Yonhap News
He continued, "Our government’s commitment to doing its best until the last day is not just rhetoric. They are actually working that way," adding, "That aspect is probably being evaluated to some extent."
He also interpreted, "Although this is a very personal opinion, people tend to want the president to address issues in ways that fit our times, and it seems that such leadership is not yet visible in this election phase," adding, "So expectations for the incumbent president are reflected in the public opinion polls."
Secretary Tak also rebutted criticism from opposition parties that President Moon’s recent overseas trip was a "pleasure trip." He said, "(President Moon) has no time for sightseeing," explaining, "He tightly handled nearly 20 schedules."
He added, "Such criticism is like a clich? from the opposition," and pointed out, "Overseas trips are the president’s fundamental duty. If the opposition wants a president who just sits still, they can keep producing such a person."
He further stated, "Disparaging national efforts for political gain may bring a few more votes in the short term, but it is a considerable discourtesy to the host countries," and criticized, "I feel the media’s evaluation of the president’s diplomatic trips is somewhat harsh."
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