Moon's Democratic Party Struggling Following Mayoral Defeats

Opinion polls show President Moon Jae-in's liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) struggling with low levels of support, an issue highlighted by the party's comprehensive defeat last week in the mayoral races in the cities of Seoul and Busan.

• ROK, Realmeter poll: Party Support: PPP (Conservative): 39.4% (+0.4), DPK (Liberal): 30.4% (+2.1), PP (Centrist): 8% (-0.3), ODP (Liberal): 4.8% (-1).No support: 14.2% (-0.8). +/- vs. 22-26/03/21. Fieldwork: 05-09/04/21. Sample size: 2,514
• ROK, Realmeter Poll: Approval rating for President Moon Jae-in (DPK, Liberal): Satisfied: 33.4% (-1), Dissatisfied: 62.9% (+0.4). Don't Know: 3.7% (+0.6). +/- vs. 22-26/03/21. Fieldwork: 05-09/04/21. Sample size: 2,514
• The 33.4% satisfaction rating for Moon is the lowest rating afforded to the president since he came to office in 2017, and was reflected in the Seoul and Busan by-elections, where candidates from the conservative People Power Party comprehensively defeated those from the incumbent DPK.
• Polls also show former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl as the most preferred potential presidential candidate for the March 2022 election. Yoon resigned his office in early March in opposition to the Moon gov'ts judicial reform drive.
• South Korea's political environment is likely to remain febrile over the coming months, with major divisions evident in Korean society over issues such as Seoul's policy towards North Korea, whether the country should be closer to China or the US, and the soaring house prices in many cities pitting renters against homeowners.