North Korean Landmine Incident... Angry Male Support for Ruling Party Falls 10.5 Points [Asia Business Daily-Realmeter Poll]

Democratic Party of Korea support plunges among male respondents
Ruling party support among progressives plunges 14 percentage points
People Power Party fails to reap political benefits

The simultaneous decline in approval ratings for President Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party of Korea is worth noting. Early in the parliamentary audit season, the political fortunes of the ruling and opposition parties are diverging, with the People Power Party polling ahead of the Democratic Party within the margin of error.

According to a regular poll conducted by polling firm Realmeter at the request of The Asia Business Daily and released on October 12, approval ratings for both the government and the ruling party fell. In particular, the Democratic Party’s support dropped sharply, by 7 percentage points, in this week’s regular party preference poll. The survey was conducted over two days, from October 7 to 8, among 1,004 voters aged 18 or older nationwide using an automated response system via wireless phones. The margin of error was ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and the response rate was 2.6%. The change stands out given that party support ratings had moved within a narrow range from week to week in recent weeks.

Changes among male supporters were particularly notable in this poll. Looking at party preferences among respondents who identified as men, the Democratic Party’s support fell by 10.5 percentage points from the previous poll, while the People Power Party’s rose by 8.4 percentage points. Some analysts say that the landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and controversy over North Korea policy may be influencing the views of men, who are more sensitive to security issues.

Separately, changes in voting preferences among progressive supporters also stood out. The Democratic Party’s support among progressives fell by 14.0 percentage points. The decline appears to reflect, among other things, tensions within the ruling bloc over controversy surrounding the appointment of the head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.

Kim Bong-shin, CEO of MetaVoice, said, "The party’s approval rating at this level makes it urgent for the ruling party to come up with countermeasures." Kim added, "Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok seems to be trying to rally supporters through a moderate, pragmatic approach, and I think this trend will continue for the time being." He also said, "Ultimately, to raise its approval rating, the party needs measures that can emphasize a sense of unity, including working as one team with prominent voices such as commentator Yoo Si-min."

However, it is noteworthy that the People Power Party has not benefited politically from the ruling bloc’s continued struggles in the polls. Its support rose by 2.9 percentage points, less than the ruling party’s decline. Instead, support for independents rose by 1.5 percentage points, the Reform Party by 1.3 percentage points, and the Rebuilding Korea Party by 1.1 percentage points.

President Lee’s approval rating fell by 2.2 percentage points, signaling a troubling warning. The poll was conducted over three days, from October 6 to 8, among 1,504 voters aged 18 or older nationwide using an automated response system via wireless phones. The margin of error was ±2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and the response rate was 2.8%. Among voters in their 40s, who had been considered a key support base for President Lee, his approval rating fell by 5.1 percentage points, from 42.4% to 37.3%. Whether this points to a weakening of his support base, as the generation that had helped shore up his approval rating begins to waver, is also drawing attention.

Another negative sign is that his approval rating fell across political affiliations. It dropped by 3.9 percentage points among conservatives, from 14.1% to 10.2%; by 3.5 percentage points among moderates, from 42.7% to 39.2%; and by 1.4 percentage points among progressives, from 54.4% to 53.0%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.