[Polpol News] President Yoon's Approval Rating Recovers to Mid-20% Range... "60% Distrust East Sea Oil Field"

Next Presidential Candidate Lee Jae-myung 22%, Han Dong-hoon 15%
60% Support Stopping North Korean Leaflet Distribution

President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating for his administration's performance has recovered to the mid-20% range. However, the public largely expressed distrust in the government's announcement estimating a significant amount of oil and natural gas deposits in the East Sea. Regarding the distribution of leaflets to North Korea, many believed the government should prevent it.

According to a public opinion poll released on the 14th by Gallup Korea (conducted from the 11th to 13th nationwide among 1,000 adults aged 18 and over using virtual mobile phone numbers for telephone interviewer surveys), President Yoon's approval rating rose 5 percentage points from two weeks ago to 26%. In the poll two weeks prior, Yoon's approval rating was at its lowest since taking office at 21%, but it showed signs of rebound. Negative evaluations also decreased by 4 percentage points from 70% to 66%.

However, the response that President Yoon is currently "doing well" was prominent only among People Power Party supporters (67%) and those aged 70 and above (57%). Among groups traditionally classified as Yoon's support base, such as conservatives, residents of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, and full-time housewives (mostly elderly), positive and negative evaluations remained evenly split. In other respondent groups, negative evaluations outweighed positive ones.

Those with positive evaluations most frequently cited diplomacy as their reason for support. This appears to be influenced positively by events such as the Korea-Africa Summit and the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts to North Korea, as well as a tough response to the North's distribution of "filth balloons." Among reasons for support, diplomacy accounted for 23%, which is 10 percentage points higher than in the previous survey. Notably, among those with negative evaluations, 2% newly cited "distrust in the East Sea oil field" as their reason.

In terms of party support, the People Power Party maintained its previous 30%, while the Democratic Party's support dropped 2 percentage points to 27%. The Joguk Innovation Party stood at 11%, and the Reform New Party at 4%.

In the "future political leader preference survey" asking about the next presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, received 22%, Han Dong-hoon, former emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, 15%, Jo Guk, leader of the Joguk Innovation Party, 5%, Hong Joon-pyo, mayor of Daegu, and Lee Jun-seok, member of the Reform New Party, 3% each, Oh Se-hoon, mayor of Seoul, 2%, and Ahn Cheol-soo, People Power Party member, Kim Dong-yeon, governor of Gyeonggi Province, and Won Hee-ryong, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 1% each.

Regarding North Korea's distribution of filth balloons to South Korea, 60% of respondents viewed it as a threat, while 36% did not. In response, 55% approved of the government's resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts to North Korea, while 32% disapproved. Concerning the leaflet distribution to North Korea, which has been a pretext for North Korea's filth balloon distribution, 60% believed the government should block it, while 30% thought it should not be blocked.

Regarding the expansion of medical school admissions next year, 66% responded that it was a good decision, while 25% thought it was wrong. On the current medical crisis, 38% believed the government bears greater responsibility, while 48% thought the doctors bear more responsibility.

Only 28% of respondents trusted President Yoon's announcement on the 3rd about the possibility of oil and natural gas deposits in the East Sea. Meanwhile, 60% expressed distrust.

For detailed information related to the survey, please refer to the website of the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission.