Lee Jae-myung's Approval Rating Declines, Ruling Party Faces Dilemma

However, both surveys indicate a declining trend in President Lee's approval rating.

The majority of respondents indicated that President Lee Jae-myung's policies had 'done nothing good,' suggesting high public dissatisfaction with his policies across the board. In particular, this survey showed an overwhelming tendency for negative evaluations to outweigh positive policy evaluations.

In particular, with questions arising about the Democratic Party's identity in pushing for 'complete deprivation of prosecutorial investigative powers' in connection with the appointment of the head of the Central Investigation Bureau, some supporters are showing signs of wavering.

The government is in a situation where it must decide on deployment within this period. However, Democratic Party supporters have a trauma from past deployment decisions and fear worsening public opinion.

Key figures within the Democratic Party have openly expressed opposition or advocated caution regarding Hormuz deployment, distancing themselves from the government. This internal party atmosphere is a significant burden on the government's deployment decision.

In a separate FNN & Mike poll, President Lee's approval rating among those in their 30s was only 22.2%.

This indicates that the 20s and 30s age group is strongly expressing dissatisfaction with the current economic situation and disappointment with the Lee Jae-myung government's policies.

This shows a shift in public sentiment in Honam, traditionally a stronghold of the Democratic Party.

The discussant pointed out that the actual decline in approval ratings in the Honam region might be underestimated in polls, suggesting that some avoidance of responding to negative polls may have played a role.

These results indicate a loss of governing momentum for President Lee Jae-myung, and considerable difficulties are expected in future state administration. Concerns are growing that the President's policy-driving force may weaken.

The core of the controversy is that Kim Ji-yong previously expressed opposition to the 'complete deprivation of prosecutorial investigative powers.' Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ju-min demanded verification of Kim's current stance.

This internal criticism leads to doubts about President Lee Jae-myung's philosophy on appointments. Among core supporters, criticism is being raised that the Democratic Party's identity, which pushed for 'complete deprivation of prosecutorial investigative powers,' is being shaken.

The National Assembly fixed the date for the confirmation hearing for the 15th, but the Democratic Party rejected all 44 witnesses and reference persons requested by the People Power Party. Consequently, the opposition party strongly criticized it as a 'blind hearing.' The structure of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, where the Democratic Party holds a majority, is cited as the reason for this unilateral decision.

This is drawing criticism for hindering the original purpose of confirmation hearings, which is to vet candidates. The refusal to adopt witnesses without bipartisan agreement is expected to further deepen political gridlock in the future.

On December 12, immediately after martial law was declared, the Justice Minister's duties were suspended, and on December 19, a suspended sentence was handed down to related parties. Subsequently, on December 27, Kim Seung-won was granted a suspension of indictment.

It is argued that a thorough investigation is needed into the sudden reversal of the prosecution's indictment decision. There is public opinion that it should be transparently revealed what decisions were made within the prosecution before and after the Justice Minister's impeachment.

Analysis suggests that even with a minimal amount, it would be difficult to clear the suspicion of a bribery promise. The problem is the possibility that this amount is not the whole story.

Out of 1 billion won in investment funds paid to Yang Su-jin, the whereabouts of the remaining 400 million won are unclear, besides the clearly identified 600 million won. It is pointed out that thorough verification is needed regarding the possibility that some of this may have flowed to Kim Seung-won.

If this money did flow to Kim Seung-won, it could escalate beyond a simple donation issue to more serious charges such as bribery or violations of political funding laws. With suspicions of lobbyist involvement also emerging, the repercussions of the incident appear to be expanding.

Therefore, investigative authorities should clarify the use of these 400 million won and identify any connection with Kim Seung-won. If these suspicions are not resolved, the controversy over the candidate's ethics will continue.

Analysis suggests that President Lee Jae-myung cannot withdraw the nomination of lawmaker Yong Hye-in. The nomination of Yong Hye-in is not a simple appointment but rather a political 'bill,' making withdrawal politically costly. Accordingly, the pro-Lee faction of the Democratic Party is reportedly considering a scenario to induce Yong Hye-in's voluntary resignation.

Strategies mentioned include creating pressure through methods such as the failure to adopt the confirmation hearing report, thereby encouraging Yong to resign on her own. This is interpreted as an intention to avoid political criticism that would follow a direct withdrawal of the nomination.

Ultimately, the issue of Yong Hye-in's nomination is not just about a single appointment but is expected to be a crucial point illustrating the complex dynamics within President Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party.

He particularly pointed out that the Lee Jae-myung government's National Pension operation and real estate tax policies are harming the public, criticizing their shortcomings. He argued that fiscal management is being conducted in an irresponsible 'live for today' manner.

Through his speech, Floor Leader Jung emphasized that citizens must reclaim their five fundamental rights: sovereignty, safety, economy, fairness, and future, and declared that the People Power Party would lead the fight for this.

This speech is interpreted as a strong critique of the Lee Jae-myung government and an attempt to clearly present the People Power Party's policy direction. The strong expression 'era of interment' particularly illustrates the People Power Party's perception of the current administration.

The argument for abolishing early voting, which had been raised by some in political circles, was thus officially formalized by a floor leader's speech.

Floor Leader Jung emphasized the legitimacy of his claim by pointing out that even the National Election Commission's labor union is demanding the abolition of early voting. He argued that abolishing early voting would help resolve information imbalance before voting and contribute to national unity.

The banner designer stated that they do not write the slogans as they wish but rather receive review from the Election Commission.

This raises questions about the standards by which the Election Commission reviews and approves banner content, particularly as the Democratic Party is using a 'mirroring' strategy to criticize defecting lawmakers. Controversy is expected over the vague boundary between freedom of expression and election law.

Some have raised suspicions that political intentions were involved in the operation of the National Pension Fund. It was claimed that while the National Pension Fund should maximize profits through appropriate rebalancing when stock prices rise, it halted domestic stock rebalancing for six months to boost stock prices ahead of this year's local elections.

This suspicion of attempting to manage political approval ratings through stock market boosting has led to criticism that the pension fund, which is the public's retirement savings, has been politically exploited. Calls for a transparent operating system for the Fund Management Office are growing.

As the National Pension Fund is a core asset for the public's retirement, claims of suspected political interference in its operation can cause significant social repercussions. Therefore, clear explanations and measures to prevent recurrence are urgently needed.

The Democratic Party strongly opposed these comparisons, condemning them as inappropriate remarks. In particular, the Hitler comparison was criticized as excessive slander unrelated to historical context.

Floor Leader Jung's speech demonstrates the People Power Party's intense criticism of the Lee Jae-myung government and signals extreme confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties in future politics.

This result shows that the People Power Party had already started to lead the Democratic Party in the previous week's survey. This contrasts with previous periods when the Democratic Party held an overwhelming approval rating.

A decline in the Democratic Party's approval rating has also been consistently observed in results from other polling organizations, including Straight News and Jo Won C&I. Although the results are within the margin of error, the continuous downward trend itself holds significant meaning.

These poll results suggest that the Democratic Party's approval rating is gradually weakening, and a phenomenon where the two parties' approval ratings are reversed may become entrenched in the political landscape after the general election. This is expected to have a significant impact on future changes in the political landscape.

Former lawmaker Song Young-gil clearly expressed his opposition, arguing that there is insufficient justification for the deployment.

Some figures within the party, such as lawmaker Kim Min-seok, argue for caution regarding deployment, considering public opinion among supporters. Meanwhile, left-wing civic groups are pressuring the government by staging anti-deployment and anti-American protests.

The panelists emphasized that the president must accurately perceive reality and make a decisive choice. The necessity of international solidarity in non-combat areas was raised, and criticism of diplomatic rigidity with Iran also emerged.

In the current situation, there is active discussion about what decision President Lee Jae-myung will make and how that decision will affect diplomatic partnerships and domestic public opinion. There is a strong perception that this is a time for the president to make a decisive choice.

In particular, with diplomatic relations with Iran strained, the decision to deploy troops is highlighted as an issue that needs to be approached with even greater caution. It is pointed out that the government's diplomatic capabilities and crisis management abilities will be put to the test.

As such, the Hormuz deployment issue is not merely a military decision but involves complex factors such as diplomacy, security, and domestic politics, thus requiring a wise response from the government.

A poll on the deployment to the Strait of Hormuz showed a stark difference in opinions between men and women. Among men, 51.6% were in favor and 42.6% were against, with support being dominant.

Conversely, among women, 51.7% were against and 34.5% were in favor, with opposition being overwhelmingly high. This is interpreted as reflecting differences in security views and fear of war based on gender.

This gender difference in public opinion will be an important factor for the government to consider when deciding on deployment. In particular, opposition from women could pose a significant burden on policy decisions.