Declining Approval Ratings for the Ruling Party, Full Effort to Woo Youth
"Lee Jun-seok Faction Can Be Appointed to Any Position"
The leadership of the People Power Party is making every effort to boost support among the 2030 youth generation. In particular, they are focusing on increasing contact with the younger generation, even hinting at the possibility of appointing figures from the Lee Jun-seok faction, who have been at odds with the pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) faction.
On the 27th, Park Soo-young, a member of the People Power Party (and head of the Yeouido Research Institute), responded in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' to the question of whether the 'Cheon-A-Yong-In' (Cheon Ha-ram, Heo Eun-ah, Kim Yong-tae, Lee Gi-in), classified as part of the Lee Jun-seok faction, could be appointed, saying, "Nothing is impossible. They are all our party members, so I think they can be appointed to any position."
Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, is preparing his utensils to receive the '1,000 won breakfast' on the morning of the 28th at the Kyung Hee University Purunsol Cultural Center student cafeteria in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The decline in support for the People Power Party among the 2030 generation is pronounced. According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from the 21st to the 23rd of last month, targeting 1,001 adults nationwide (with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points), the support rate for the People Power Party among those in their 20s (ages 18?29) was 22%. For those in their 30s, it was 25%. During the same period, the Democratic Party of Korea's support rate was 25% among people in their 20s and 40% among those in their 30s. The Democratic Party led the People Power Party among all 2030 age groups, with a significant 15 percentage point lead among those in their 30s.
In particular, in the third week of March (14th?16th), when the proposal to revise the maximum weekly working hours to 69 hours was released, a poll by the same institution showed that support for the People Power Party among those in their 20s dropped to 13%, a decrease of 11 percentage points compared to the previous week (second week of March, 24%). (For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.)
Former party leader Lee Jun-seok is evaluated to have built a support base centered on the 2030 generation, especially young men. This has led to analysis that the People Power Party leadership is attempting to win over the pro-Lee Jun-seok faction to recover support among the 2030 generation.
The People Power Party leadership is also actively engaging in youth-related activities. On the 28th, party leader Kim Ki-hyun visited the student cafeteria at Kyung Hee University, which runs the '1000 Won Breakfast' program, and had breakfast there. The 1000 Won Breakfast is a government policy designed to reduce the food expenses burden on university students amid high inflation. The government subsidizes part of the cost to provide breakfast at 1000 won.
Supreme Council member Kim Byung-min and youth supreme council member Jang Ye-chan held a 'chimaek meeting' (chicken and beer gathering) on the 24th at a chicken restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul, with the so-called 'MZ Union,' the 'Saerogochim Workers' Council.' This meeting was arranged to discuss and listen to opinions regarding the government's proposal to revise the maximum weekly working hours to 69 hours, which sparked backlash among the youth generation. The entire leadership is putting in full effort to reverse the decline in youth support.
However, the Lee Jun-seok faction showed a lukewarm response to the leadership's overtures. Cheon Ha-ram, a lawyer who ran for party leader in the March 8th party convention, appeared on YTN Radio's 'News King with Park Ji-hoon' on the same day and said, "Underlying the party leadership is the thought that 'if we draw a line from Lee Jun-seok, we can get along well with them.'" He added, "If I show that I am distancing myself from Lee Jun-seok and joining the mainstream, the People Power Party's support among the 2030 generation will fall even further."
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