Pres. Park's approval rating hits record-low

Pres. Park's approval rating hits record-low. November. 26, 2016 07:20. by Taeck-Dong Chang will71@donga.com.

President Park Geun-hye’s approval rating renewed her record-low, as only 4 percent of Koreans regarded her as a competent national leader. Moreover, Park’s governance over national affairs is plunging due to the possible motion to impeach the incumbent president.

According to a regular poll result (95-percent confidence level with plus or minus 3.1%p error) announced by Gallop Korea on Friday, 1,004 Korean male and females nationwide showed 1 percentage point lower support for Park from Tuesday to Thursday. Negative views on Park’s national administration hit a record high, rising by 3 percentage points to 93 percent compared to last week.

Her approval rate remained at the 5-percent level for the last three consecutive weeks since early November, but the recent interim investigation results announced by prosecutors and the announcement of resignations made by Justice Minister Justice Kim Hyun-woong and Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs Choi Jae-kyung were translated into steeper decline.

What’s more, support for the ruling Saenuri Party also hit the bottom by falling 3 percentage points to 12 percent since last week, and was dragged down to the third position with the Minjoo Party (34 percent) and the People’s Party (16 percent).

Meanwhile, the presidential office and the legal experts are showing stark differences on reasons why official announcements on the acceptance of resignations of Minister Kim and Senior Secretary Choi are delayed. A Cheong Wa Dae official said, “While Choi decided not to resign after President Park’s dissuasions, Kim is still strongly willing to resign, and efforts are being made to retain him.” However, legal experts view that though Kim expressed his will to resign under moral responsibilities, Choi is still holding fast to the resignation card due to uncomfortable relationship with Cheong Wa Dae and prosecutors’. Therefore, neither Kim nor Choir is refusing their resignations to be turned down by President Park – a clear evidence that Park has indeed lost control over national affairs.

Nonetheless, Park is left with only few options to recover her authority as she is nearing her impeachment. It is known that President Park is planning to give her explanations on the alleged suspicions and the prosecutors’ investigation results through her upcoming national statement. Her message is likely to announce before the National Assembly proposes motion to impeach her, or after she has checked the hearings on Cheong Wa Dae at the National Assembly on Dec. 5.

Still, Park will continue to exercise her least control over the country. On Friday, Park nominated Standing Arbitration Commissioner of Seoul Court Conciliation Center Choi Hye-ri as the successor of the Standing Commissioner of National Human Rights Commission (Deputy Secretary) Kim Young-hye who is nearing the end of her term. The recent exercise of her personnel rights comes as the third after nominating the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs on Nov. 16 and the Vice Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on Nov. 17.