President Moon should properly grasp public mind
President Moon Jae-in is suffering from falling approval ratings in the wake of a series of policy bungles coupled with an intensifying feud between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. According to a recent Gallup Korea survey released Friday, only 39 percent of respondents supported Moon, down 1 percentage point from the previous week.
Another opinion poll conducted by Realmeter released Thursday was more disappointing for Moon, who got support from only 37.4 percent, the lowest since he took office and a fall of 6.4 percentage points from last week. Support for Moon's governing Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) reached only 28.9 percent, lagging behind the opposition People Power Party's (PPP) 31.2 percent. The PPP was ahead of the DPK for the first time in about four months since mid-August.
The majority of Gallup survey respondents cited the failure of real estate policy as the main reason for them rejecting Moon, followed by the ongoing discord involving the top prosecutor and justice minister. Criticism of Choo is growing as she is seen as employing excessive steps to dismiss Yoon on behalf of Moon.
Yoon, who had been suspended by Choo, returned to work after a Seoul court accepted his request for an injunction against her suspension order. In addition, the justice ministry's inspection committee reached a unanimous decision that Choo's actions against Yoon were inappropriate. In light of the cases of past governments, the head of state may face serious setbacks in state administration should his approval rating fall below 30 percent.
The drastic drop in approval ratings for Moon and the DPK may create a sense of panic and crisis within the ruling bloc. Moon garnered 41.4 percent support in the presidential election. The fact that his rating has fallen below 40 percent could mean that some supporters have begun to turn their backs on him.
In fact, the recent surveys show figures in the liberal camp, women and those in their 40s have changed their stance toward the President. The steady drop in his support could lead to a “lame duck” phenomenon during the remainder of his tenure.
Moon has generated criticism by keeping mum on the dispute between Choo and Yoon. Worse still, soaring housing prices and global real estate taxes appear to have intensified opposition toward his administration.
Wary of possible repercussions, Moon ordered the ministry to postpone a disciplinary meeting for Yoon to prevent prospective procedural flaws. But this does not necessarily mean he has given up plans to punish Yoon, such as sacking him. Yet Moon should bear in mind that any attempt to dismiss the top prosecutor will trigger a severe backlash.
In a bid to assuage the growing criticism, Moon replaced four ministers Friday, including Land and Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mi, who has come under fire for bungling the housing policy. Yet the partial Cabinet reshuffle is not enough. Moon needs to mobilize all-out efforts to recover the people's trust.