Lee Jae-myung's Approval Rating Falls to 30s, People Power Party's Approval Rating Reverses

According to the results of a fair public opinion poll by PenNMike, Chairman Lee Jae-myung's approval rating continues to decline, recording 36.3%. It fell from 44.2% in the previous survey to 41.3%, and then to 36.3%. At the same time, negative evaluations of Chairman Lee Jae-myung rose to 47.4%.

Regarding Chairman Lee Jae-myung's remarks on constitutional amendment, 56.7% of the public responded that they believed it was for 'his re-election or reappointment,' in other words, to overcome judicial risks. Nevertheless, the percentage of those in favor of Chairman Lee Jae-myung's re-election recorded 35.6%.

Chairman Lee Jae-myung instructed the Prime Minister's Office to prepare police reform measures, criticizing the police's concentration of power and lax discipline. However, the host refuted this by highlighting the responsibility of the President, who is the one restricting prosecutorial investigative powers. The host stated, "You created such a situation, and now you're saying the police's lax discipline and irresponsibility are serious?" thereby holding Chairman Lee Jae-myung accountable for his criticism.

The People Power Party's approval rating recorded 41.7%, surpassing the Democratic Party's 38.8%. This is a result of an upward trend immediately after the conclusion of the People Power Party's national convention. The reversal of approval ratings is expected to bring about significant changes in the political atmosphere, coinciding with the decline in Chairman Lee Jae-myung's approval rating.

Park Sang-kyu mentioned the '35-55 rule,' which states that if the President's positive evaluation falls below 35% and negative evaluation exceeds 55% one year before the presidential election, the government will unconditionally change. It was argued that Chairman Lee Jae-myung's current approval rating and negative evaluation figures meet this criterion.

The plummeting of the Democratic Party's approval rating to the 50s in the Honam region, a key support base, is being met with great shock within the party. This is a significant decline compared to the overwhelming approval rates of 80-90% recorded in past presidential elections and general elections. Given the current trend, there is a possibility that Honam's approval rating could fall below 50%.

A consistent approval rating of 35-36% was confirmed across various items, including remarks on constitutional amendment, support for Yongsan public housing, and the ROK-US alliance. This figure also aligns with the 36% who expressed support for Chairman Lee Jae-myung, and is analyzed as the Democratic Party's so-called 'concrete' approval rating.

Writer Yoo Si-min criticized Chairman Lee Jae-myung, describing him as an 'arrogant power holder' and 'monarchy.' This criticism is interpreted as an expression of dissatisfaction with Chairman Lee Jae-myung's actions within the Democratic Party, particularly from the pro-Roh and pro-Moon factions, based on a sense of legitimate succession. This also led to a backlash from within the Democratic Party, including lawmaker Park Hong-geun.

There were various interpretations regarding Supreme Council member Jang Dong-hyuk of the People Power Party making a lengthy mention of former President Roh Moo-hyun during his initial meeting with lawmaker Kim Min-seok. Some interpreted it as Jang Dong-hyuk 'intentionally hitting a nerve,' while others evaluated it as 'humiliating lawmaker Kim Min-seok.'

Controversy arose over procedural violations in the process of passing a resolution to dismiss Chairperson Lee Jin-sook in the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee. It was argued that the resolution was passed despite the National Assembly Act stipulating a 20-day deliberation period in case of a confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties. Criticism continued that the Democratic Party ignored the National Assembly's legal procedures and processed the resolution to dismiss Chairperson Lee Jin-sook.

Criticism was raised regarding Mayor Hong Joon-pyo's remark, '5.18 has long become a myth.' It was argued that the May 18 Democratic Uprising should be viewed not as a myth like the Dangun myth, but as a tragedy in our modern history. The opinion was presented that historical events, like the French Revolution or the case of Danjong, require a long period of evaluation.

The necessity of academic discussions was raised, along with demands for the disclosure of the May 18 merit recipients list. This debate shows that various interpretations and evaluations of the May 18 Democratic Uprising remain a social issue.

There is a strong call for continuous discussion to clarify historical truth and for a fair evaluation. The disclosure of the merit recipients list is emerging as an important issue in terms of ensuring transparency.

Chairperson Lee Jin-sook stated that she is considering defamation and insult charges against lawmaker Kim Min-seok's remarks, including 'female Hitler,' and is already contemplating legal action. It was mentioned that according to Supreme Court precedents, excessive abusive language by politicians can result in a fine. Along with this, questions about the fairness of the police investigation were also raised.

It was revealed that Woori Financial Group filed a civil lawsuit seeking 500 million won against PenNMike, a small media company. Criticism was raised that pursuing a 500 million won damages lawsuit is excessive, even though the article was corrected for an error related to the BIS ratio.

Criticism was raised that the current government, despite having received more favorable benefits from the media than the previous Moon Jae-in government, is blaming the media when facing difficulties with real estate and economic issues, which is beyond shamelessness. Jang Ye-chan asserted, "The Lee Jae-myung government is the government that has received more favorable benefits from the media than any previous government, including the Moon Jae-in government. But to blame the media after messing up real estate and economic issues is beyond shamelessness."

It was mentioned that if the current government pushes for legislation to control the media, concerns may be raised by the international community, including the United States. Analysis suggests that the international community's interest in violations of press freedom could increase.

It was pointed out that if the government's approach to the media is seen as suppression of the press, it could lead to a decline in trust in state administration as well as negative impacts on foreign relations. There is a strong voice emphasizing the importance of establishing a healthy relationship with the media.

In particular, concerns were also raised that the attitude of not accepting critical reporting from the media and shifting blame could deepen the conflict between the government and the media. Many opinions emphasize that ensuring press freedom and accepting criticism are fundamental principles of democracy.

It was predicted that the actions of hardliners within the ruling party, such as lawmaker Choi Min-hee, would actually accelerate the government's lame duck status. Jang Ye-chan said, "To quickly push the Lee Jae-myung government into a lame duck state and reverse the situation with a general election victory, it seems better to let Choi Min-hee continue to have such thoughts."

As a strategic approach for winning the general election, utilizing the words and actions of hardliners within the ruling party was mentioned. This suggests that the opposition party will maintain a hardline stance against the current administration.

It was revealed that a police officer closed 296 missing persons cases. This shows the absence of institutional mechanisms to address the grievances of missing persons' families. The deletion of case records and a complacent investigative attitude were pointed out, revealing problems in police investigations.

A vacancy in the Supreme Court has continued for seven months after the retirement of a justice, and criticism was raised about the President's inadequate nomination process. The host raised concerns about the procedural delay, stating, "Didn't he nominate Chief Judges Sohn Bong-ki and Kim Sung-soo to be appointed as Supreme Court Justices?"

This raises concerns that it could prolong the judiciary's vacancy and lead to trial delays. It is also pointed out that the delay in appointing Supreme Court justices could negatively impact the entire judicial system.

Among legal experts, concerns about conflicts of interest are also being raised, suggesting that the President's exercise of personnel authority could be influenced by political considerations. There is a strong call for a fair and swift appointment of Supreme Court justices.

The Supreme Court vacancy can severely damage the judiciary's independence and efficiency, so there is a growing demand to restore stability to the judicial system through a swift appointment process.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who attended the Future Innovation Forum event, criticized the party for regressing and heading towards privatization. In particular, they expressed opposition to the party leadership's push for direct election of district chapter chairpersons. This appears to be internal party conflict surfacing at a time of a 'golden cross' in party approval ratings.

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo emphasized and supported the direct election system for district chapter chairpersons, which Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk is promoting, stating that it is absolutely necessary. Mayor Hong pointed out that the existing managed re-election system was the cause of election defeats.

He stressed the need for a direct election system for district chapter chairpersons as a reform plan based on conservative right-wing competitive philosophy. This is interpreted as an intention to grant more power to party members and enhance the party's vitality through competition.

Mayor Hong's support lends strength to the internal party reform discussions, while also potentially deepening conflicts with the existing leadership. He emphasized that the replacement of district chapter chairpersons is an important starting point for the party's renewal.

Jang Ye-chan refuted Chairman Han Dong-hoon's characterization of the direct election of district chapter chairpersons as 'privatization.' He pointed out that Han Dong-hoon, during his time as interim leader and party leader, engaged in backroom nominations for proportional representation and mentioned past cases of nomination manipulation. He criticized, "Didn't Han Dong-hoon handle nominations when he was interim leader and party leader? All the proportional representation nominations then were backroom nominations."

He also pointed out the lack of transparency in the national recommendation nomination process, questioning how a direct election system that returns power to party members could be considered privatization. This is a strong objection to Chairman Han Dong-hoon's assertion, deepening the debate over the party's nomination system.

He emphasized the strengthening of party members' authority and the importance of democratic procedures, arguing that direct elections would actually enhance the party's transparency and fairness. The counter-argument is that Chairman Han Dong-hoon's 'privatization' claim could be seen as an attempt to cover up past opaque nomination practices.

This debate raises fundamental questions about the power structure within the People Power Party and the role of party members. It shows that various opinions are clashing over the party's future direction.