DPK Approval Rating Hits All-Time Low, 'Teacher Lee' Emerges

The survey showed that negative opinions on state affairs, such as 'not a single good policy' and 'doing very poorly,' reached 49.3%, indicating a deepening public sentiment against the government.

Negative evaluations of Lee Jae-myung among those in their 30s approached 68.7%, indicating a serious level. It is analyzed that people in their 30s are expressing dissatisfaction with the current government due to growing anxiety about the future caused by economic problems such as loan regulations and housing shortages.

A clear phenomenon of public disaffection is also appearing in the Honam region, a core support base for the Democratic Party. Positive evaluations of state affairs in the Honam region remained at 43.8%, while negative evaluations reached 53.6%, indicating a 'dead cross' phenomenon. This appears to be the result of a complex combination of mega-project failures and delays in resolving livelihood issues.

This exacerbates concerns about the DPK's loss of governance momentum. Critical views within the support base are expected to significantly burden future party operations and policy implementation.

The so-called 'Council of Seven' members, considered key aides to Lee Jae-myung, recently held an emergency meeting. They are reported to have felt a serious sense of crisis over Lee Jae-myung's historically low approval rating and shared concerns that if the approval rating drops another 10%, a 'call for impeachment' could even emerge. It is believed that various measures to overcome the current crisis were discussed at the meeting. This emergency meeting reflects the serious sense of crisis within the DPK and could be a critical turning point that significantly impacts Lee Jae-myung's future and the party's direction.

Strong opposition erupted from DPK support communities such as 'Clien' over the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as the candidate for the Chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency. Supporters declared, 'If prosecutor Kim Ji-yong is appointed as the candidate for the Chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, we will call Lee Jae-myung 'Teacher Lee' instead of 'Jaem-tongnyeong' from now on,' expressing their dissatisfaction.

Kim Ji-yong, the candidate for the Chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, is known to be a former prosecutor from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office who opposed the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers. The nomination of such a figure as the chief candidate suggests that Lee Jae-myung cannot find competent individuals for serious investigations outside of former prosecutors. Criticism is also being raised that Lee Jae-myung's inner circle lacks talent and that his personnel management lacks a clear philosophy or principles.

With the increasing likelihood of an 'empty hearing' without witnesses, criticism is being raised that it will be difficult to properly verify the candidate's allegations.

Controversy related to candidate Kim Seung-won is spreading, with mentions of Choi Jae-seong, Song Young-gil, and even the Blue House (BH). The DPK's intention to exclude all witnesses from the confirmation hearing is analyzed as a strategy to prevent further problematic statements and minimize suspicions. This can also be interpreted as the DPK's intention to pin all responsibility on Kim Seung-won, fearing a backlash for the entire party, rather than uncovering the substantive truth.

Despite two reports recommending indictment for candidate Kim Seung-won in August and November 2024, a decision to suspend prosecution was made for Kim Seung-won on December 27, just 8 days after Professor Kang, a related party, was sentenced to probation on December 19. The circumstances of this unusual reversal, which occurred when Minister of Justice Park Sung-jae was impeached and his duties suspended, remain unclear. With the DPK refusing to call witnesses for the confirmation hearing, uncovering the truth about these allegations is becoming even more difficult.

It has been argued that the promise of a 5 million won donation to candidate Kim Seung-won could constitute bribery. Additionally, suspicions have been raised that only 600 million won of a 1 billion won investment has been confirmed, with the whereabouts of the remaining 400 million won being unclear, further fueling controversy. These financial allegations are expected to be key issues in the confirmation hearing, but it is uncertain whether they will be properly addressed given the absence of witnesses.

Through this, it is being argued that Professor Kang Nam-hoon shares interests with Lee Jae-myung, and that candidate Yong Hye-in was nominated as a reward for organizational support during the presidential election.

The intention is to disperse public criticism by sacrificing Yong Hye-in as a disposable card while retaining Kim Seung-won.

The PPP is advocating for the 21st, considering the impact on Chuseok public sentiment, while the DPK is interpreted as hoping for the 18th to disperse the controversy surrounding candidate Kim Seung-won.