The Democratic Party's Relay Party-Government Consultations Today... Will It Become a Card for Approval Rating Rebound?

On the 29th, Following the Grain Management Act, Electricity and Gas Prices Discussed by Ruling Party and Government
President Yoon Seok-yeol and People Power Party Approval Ratings Both Decline

On the afternoon of the 29th, the People Power Party and the government will hold consecutive party-government consultations regarding the amendment to the Grain Management Act and urgent livelihood issues such as electricity and gas rates. This move is interpreted as an active effort to recover from the simultaneous decline in approval ratings of President Yoon Suk-yeol and the ruling party, caused by policy confusion surrounding the '69-hour workweek' and a series of gaffes by Kim Jae-won, the party's Supreme Council member.

At 3 p.m. on the same day, the People Power Party will hold a high-level party-government consultation at the Prime Minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong to discuss countermeasures for the recently passed amendment to the Grain Management Act. Attending from the People Power Party are Party Leader Kim Ki-hyun, Floor Leader Joo Ho-young, and Policy Committee Chair Park Dae-chul, while from the government side, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Choo Kyung-ho, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeong Hwang-geun, and Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Bang Moon-kyu will participate.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho is speaking at the 2023 Economic Policy Direction Party-Government Consultation held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of December 19 last year. (Photo by Yonhap News)

The amendment to the Grain Management Act stipulates that when the excess rice production exceeds 3-5% of demand or rice prices fall by 5-8% compared to the average year, the government is obligated to purchase the excess production. This is the 'No. 1 livelihood bill' of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and was passed in the plenary session on the 23rd, led by the Democratic Party. However, the government and ruling party oppose it, citing concerns over fiscal deterioration due to the cost burden of rice purchases and a decline in agricultural competitiveness.

Additionally, from 5 p.m. on the same day, a meeting on measures related to electricity and gas rates will be held at the National Assembly. Since the announcement of the second quarter electricity and gas rates is scheduled for the 31st, the party and government are taking the lead in preparing countermeasures in advance. Given the deficit scale of Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea Gas Corporation, an increase in energy rates is highly anticipated, while the Democratic Party is calling for a full review.

The fact that the government and ruling party are holding back-to-back meetings on the same day is analyzed as a card to reverse the recent downward trend in approval ratings for the People Power Party and President Yoon. The policy confusion between the Presidential Office and the government regarding the 'maximum 69-hour workweek' and the far-right remarks by Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won have both dragged down the approval ratings of President Yoon and the ruling party.

According to a survey conducted by Realmeter commissioned by Media Tribune from the 20th to the 24th, targeting 2,506 people aged 18 and over nationwide, the positive evaluation of President Yoon's state affairs performance fell by 0.8 percentage points from the previous week to 36%. Compared to 42.9% in the first week of March, it dropped by 6.9 percentage points in three weeks. In the same survey, the People Power Party's approval rating also fell by 6.4 percentage points from 44.3% to 37.9%, being overtaken by the Democratic Party. For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.

Professor Shin Yul of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Myongji University explained, "It is certain that the party and President Yoon are not currently in a good state, so there is a need to show that they are taking good care of people's livelihoods," adding, "It can be seen as fulfilling the ruling party's responsibility to minimize the shock to the public caused by the amendment to the Grain Management Act and the increase in electricity and gas rates."

Director Eom Kyung-young of the Era Spirit Research Institute also said, "Since it is recognized that approval ratings have dropped due to policy confusion, President Yoon instructed to actively communicate with the party and government, so they are showing a diligent attitude," adding, "Before implementing any policy, it is necessary to have justification and legitimacy, and going through party-government consultations makes it easier to persuade the public and minimizes negative impacts on President Yoon."