Governor Kim Yungrok Ranks First in Job Performance Evaluation

July Realmeter Poll: 1st Place for 8 Consecutive Months
Positive Ratings Decline for Second Straight Month
Slow Progress on Key Issues and Political Instability Cited
Governor Kim Seen Struggling Alone Amid Criticism
Major Overhaul of Political Strategy Needed for Third Term Bid

Kim Yungrok, Governor of South Jeolla Province, maintained his position as the top performer among metropolitan government heads for the eighth consecutive month in the July Realmeter nationwide job performance evaluation. However, the atmosphere is not what it used to be, as a noticeable shift is being detected, including a decline in positive job performance ratings for two consecutive months, which is quite different from previous indicators.

Some view this as a temporary decline caused by a tendency to avoid repeated survey responses during the hot summer months. However, others argue that it reflects the local public sentiment, which is now scrutinizing Governor Kim's political moves and South Jeolla Province's policies and pending issues more closely, especially with less than a year left before next year's local elections.

According to the results of the "July 2025 Metropolitan Local Government Head Evaluation" released by Realmeter, a polling agency, on August 14, Governor Kim's positive evaluation for provincial administration was 50.7%, the highest among metropolitan government heads nationwide, tied with Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province.

The problem is that there is a clear downward trend in positive ratings hidden behind the sweet number of being ranked first.

In fact, Governor Kim's current positive rating fell by 4.5 percentage points compared to the previous month (which recorded 55.2%). Since the June evaluation (where it dropped by 4.3 percentage points from 59.5% in May to 55.2%), Governor Kim has seen a decline of over 4 percentage points in positive job performance ratings for two consecutive months.

This is a situation he has not experienced during his remarkable eight-month streak at the top of public opinion polls this year. The fact that he is now tied for first place with Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, rather than holding the position alone, is closely related to these circumstances.

Various speculations and analyses are emerging from both the local political scene and within the South Jeolla provincial government regarding this situation.

The most common perspective is that these changes are linked to the upcoming election season.

On June 26, Governor Kim officially announced his bid for a third term. With less than a year left until the June 3, 2026 local elections, he was the first incumbent governor nationwide to declare his candidacy, reaffirming his determination to run.

However, this move by Governor Kim has become both a starting point for other candidates to rally their supporters and a political fuse for those seeking to keep him in check.

Since Governor Kim's official declaration for a third term, his every move has become fodder for criticism. The controversy over his "lack of understanding of current issues and provincial administration," which arose during a town hall meeting with President Lee Jaemyung in Gwangju just a day earlier (June 25), has continued to dog him for nearly two months.

This has provided a "killing two birds with one stone" effect for rival candidates aiming for the next governorship, such as Assemblymen Joo Cheolhyeon, Shin Jeonghun, Lee Gaeho, and Seo Samseok, who can simply reap the benefits of Governor Kim's missteps.

Currently, South Jeolla Province is pursuing various future growth industries and policies to enhance regional competitiveness, including the relocation of Gwangju's civilian airport and military airport, the potential reopening of Muan Airport, the establishment of an integrated medical school, the "major transformation of the petrochemical and steel industries," the construction of an "AI data center and RE100 national industrial complex," and the fostering of "new industries in renewable energy."

Governor Kim, for his part, is meeting with officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and other central government agencies almost every week, working tirelessly to secure national funding and resolve regional issues.

He is also actively using Facebook and other social media platforms to share updates on provincial administration and solutions to pending issues with residents, striving to make his presence felt.

However, these efforts by Governor Kim are not being significantly reflected in local public sentiment. As none of the initiatives have produced tangible results that residents can truly feel, disappointment is only growing.

The lack of visible effort from the working-level departments responsible for handling these issues is also a major contributing factor.

For example, a six-party task force (Gwangju City, South Jeolla Province, Muan County, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Ministry of National Defense) was formed on President Lee Jaemyung's orders during the June 25 town hall meeting to facilitate the relocation of Gwangju's military airport to Muan. However, South Jeolla Province's role has not been visible since then. Another notable case is the incident during the 45th anniversary eve event of the May 18 Democratic Movement this year, where Governor Kim wore a ribbon with the phrase "Let us enshrine the noble spirit of May 18 in the Constitution" around his neck-a blunder attributed to miscommunication between the provincial staff and Governor Kim.

Earlier this year, around February, Governor Kim abruptly announced his intention to run for president, only to withdraw it by April. During the period of martial law, he also attempted to project a so-called "strongman" image through unusually strong rhetoric on social media. These various image transformations have only intensified the sense of discomfort among those who previously found Governor Kim's stability appealing.

Recently, the recruitment of Kang Wiwon, the Vice Governor for Economic Affairs, who is considered a close associate of Lee Jaemyung, is also being viewed as potentially more of a liability than an asset for Governor Kim from a political standpoint. As he aims for a third term, it appears inevitable that Governor Kim will have to make significant adjustments to his current approach.

A local political figure commented, "Governor Kim Yungrok's greatest strengths are his gentleness and stability. However, neither his strengths as an administrative expert nor as a politician are currently visible. There is an urgent need for a personnel overhaul among those assisting Governor Kim, as well as a revision of his political strategy."