PPP hits all-time low in public support

The approval rating for the South Korean main opposition People Power Party has dropped into the 10% range for the first time since its founding in September 2020. Following internal strife over whether to support the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol and the party’s defeat in the June 3 presidential election, ongoing discord over party reforms has led some within the party to warn that “the very survival of the party is at stake.”

According to the latest National Barometer Survey (NBS)—a regular nationwide poll conducted by Embrain Public, KSTAT Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research from July 7 to 9 via telephone interviews with 1,003 adults aged 18 and over—the People Power Party’s approval rating fell by one percentage point from the previous week to 19%. This marks the first time since NBS began in 2020 that the party’s support has dropped below the 20% mark.

The decline is being attributed to continued internal chaos following the presidential election defeat, particularly regarding disputes over personnel reform. One two-term lawmaker from the Seoul metropolitan area commented, “The public’s disappointment reflects the reality of our party, where the word ‘innovation’ has become a subject of mockery.”

There are also concerns within the party that its approval rating could fall even further as investigations into the so-called “three major special prosecutors” begin in earnest. Innovation Committee Chair Yoon Hee-sook said, “It’s not at all unthinkable that we could see a repeat of the situation in 2017, when our approval rating dropped into the single digits.” After the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, support for the party’s predecessor, the Liberty Korea Party, fell to as low as 8%.


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