"How much do you support Yoon?" Survey bias controversy
"Many people probably hung up or left during the poll calls"
As a poll showing President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating reaching 40% was released, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in a heated debate. The opposition criticized it as misleading public opinion, while the ruling party countered that it was an attempt to control even the polling agencies. However, there are also criticisms that some of the question wording is biased, causing only the hardline supporters to participate in the survey.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a national address at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 12th. December 12, 2024 [Provided by the Presidential Office. Resale and DB prohibited] Yonhap News
The Korea Public Opinion Reputation Institute (KOPRA) conducted a poll commissioned by Asia Today from April 3 to 4, surveying 1,000 men and women aged 18 and over. The results showed President Yoon's approval rating at 40% (100% wireless RDD, 4.7% response rate). Among them, 31% said they "strongly support" him, and 9% said they "somewhat support" him. Following the release of this poll, interpretations emerged that the conservative camp had rallied during the impeachment phase against President Yoon, causing a backlash against the opposition party.
The Democratic Party of Korea plans to file a complaint against KOPRA. They argue that the poll distorts public opinion regarding President Yoon, who is accused of being a ringleader of a rebellion. Cho Seung-rae, the Democratic Party's chief spokesperson, told reporters at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, "There have been many attempts recently to mislead public opinion through polls," adding, "We will pursue a complaint through the party's legal committee for violating Article 108, Paragraph 5 of the Public Official Election Act regarding biased polls." According to Article 108, Paragraph 5 of the Public Official Election Act, conducting polls using biased vocabulary or sentences favoring a specific party or candidate is prohibited.
The People Power Party criticized the Democratic Party for suppressing unfavorable polls. The People Power Party's Media Special Committee issued a statement titled "Condemning Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party's Threat to File Complaints Against Polls Due to Severe Presidential Syndrome," saying, "(The Democratic Party) impeached public officials in succession and now threatens to file complaints even against private polling companies," calling it "a malicious attempt to control polls through threats of complaints."
From Question 1, "To what extent do you support Yoon"... Also Questions on Election Fraud Allegations
Survey questions from a public opinion poll conducted by the Korea Public Opinion Research Institute (KOPRA) commissioned by Asia Today. / Source=Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission
However, controversy over bias continues surrounding this poll. Experts criticize the first question, "To what extent do you currently support President Yoon?" as biased from the start. They argue that it assumes support for President Yoon in the question itself. For example, in a poll conducted by Realmeter commissioned by Energy Economy Newspaper from March 5 to 6 surveying 1,012 men and women aged 18 and over, the question about President Yoon's approval used a neutral expression: "How do you evaluate President Yoon's current state administration?"
The other questions are similar. Question 3 asks, "What do you think about the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HOCI) forcibly detaining the sitting president despite the illegal controversy over the arrest warrant for President Yoon?" Other questions inquire about opinions on "the Central Election Commission's (CEC) public verification of the election system to resolve suspicions of election fraud" and "the bill proposing punishment for acts raising suspicions of election fraud by the CEC." Terms like 'illegal arrest warrant,' 'forcible detention of the sitting president,' and 'election fraud' are scattered throughout, likely to attract the attention of hardline conservative supporters.
There is also an opinion that biased individuals were more likely to participate in this poll. Park Sung-min, CEO of Political Consulting Min, said on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's News Show' yesterday, "I am not saying this poll was well or poorly conducted, but we cannot conclude that the approval rating has risen," adding, "Even if the president's approval was asked upfront, many people probably hung up the phone." He continued, "Long questions confuse respondents. It is better to simply ask whether they agree or disagree with a certain claim," and pointed out, "Such polls influence public opinion."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
