[PolPol News] Democratic Party 40% vs People Power Party 20%... 47% Support Ruling Party, 40% Support Opposition in Local Elections

NBS Poll
President Lee's Approval Rating at 59%

A public opinion poll has revealed that the approval rating gap between the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party has widened to a twofold difference. However, when respondents were asked whether they would support the ruling or opposition party in the upcoming local elections, the gap narrowed significantly, drawing attention.

According to the National Barometer Survey (NBS) conducted by Embrain Public, KSTAT Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research from January 19 to 21, 2026, through mobile phone interviews with 1,001 men and women aged 18 and older nationwide (with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 20.2%), 59% of respondents rated President Lee Jaemyung’s administration as “doing well,” a 2 percentage point decrease compared to two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the proportion who said the administration was “doing poorly” rose by 2 percentage points to 31%.

In terms of party approval ratings, support for the Democratic Party increased by 1 percentage point to 40%. In contrast, support for the People Power Party dropped by 3 percentage points to 20%.

However, regarding the local elections scheduled for June 3 this year, 47% of respondents said the ruling party should be empowered, while 40% said the opposition party should be strengthened to provide checks and balances. This indicates a somewhat different perception between party approval ratings and views on the local elections.

Regarding real estate policy, 47% responded that the government is “doing poorly,” higher than the 35% who said it is “doing well.” As for real estate prices, 30% expect an increase, 51% expect them to remain steady, and 11% anticipate a decrease.

On the issue of administrative integration, 53% of respondents viewed it positively, while 30% had a negative view.

Regarding allegations of nomination fund irregularities involving some Democratic Party figures, 57% cited “structural problems in the nomination system,” while 30% attributed it to “individual misconduct by certain figures.”

For more details about the poll, please refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.