Approval Rating for National Administration Records 34.6%
Started the Week at 36.4% but Fell to 32.8% by Week's End
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating for his administration showed a slight upward trend, continuing its rise for the third consecutive week. While President Yoon, who embarked on diplomatic visits, saw his approval rating climb to the mid-30% range early in the week, it dropped to the low 30% range later in the week following controversy over his alleged use of profanity at an event hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.
According to a public opinion poll released by Realmeter on the 26th (conducted by Media Tribune from the 19th to the 23rd over five days, surveying 2,533 men and women aged 18 and over nationwide via ARS method), President Yoon's approval rating was 34.6% (18.2% very well, 16.4% fairly well). This marks a 0.2 percentage point increase compared to last week's poll. Negative evaluations of his administration, stating "doing poorly," fell by 1.0 percentage point to 62.2% (52.5% very poorly, 9.7% fairly poorly).
Starting with attending the British Queen's funeral and continuing with visits to the U.S. and Canada, President Yoon's approval rating showed an upward trend early in the week during his overseas tour. Daily surveys indicated that on the 20th, his approval rating reached 36.4%. However, after reports emerged that President Yoon used profanity directed at the U.S. Congress during President Biden's event, his approval rating declined. On the 23rd, it stood at 32.8%.
The controversy began when media reported a scene where President Yoon, while walking out of President Biden's event, appeared to say to Foreign Minister Park Jin and others nearby, "If those XX in the National Assembly don't approve, what will Biden do, feeling embarrassed?" The presidential office clarified that the phrase was not "Biden-i" (Biden), but "nallimyeon" (if it is rejected), denying that President Biden was being referred to. The ruling party also claimed that the expression "those XX" was not used, leading to ongoing disputes over the facts.
On the morning of the same day, President Yoon met with reporters and denied the related allegations, stating, "The false reports have damaged the alliance."
In party support ratings, the Democratic Party recorded 45.0%, down 1.2 percentage points from last week, while the People Power Party fell 0.8 percentage points to 37.5%.
For detailed survey methodology and results related to the poll, please refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.
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