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President’s approval rises in conservative strongholds ahead of local elections

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President's approval rises in conservative strongholds ahead of local elections

President Lee Jae Myung is securing higher approval ratings nationwide with atypical backing from conservative strongholds — a trend analysts say is increasing pressure on the main opposition party as the June 3 local elections approach.

Multiple polls this month have highlighted this momentum, with Realmeter reporting ratings steadily rising over three consecutive weeks and Gallup Korea showing support for the president breaking records two weeks in a row.

These results reveal attention-grabbing support from the conservative strongholds of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province in southeastern Korea, where Realmeter reported a faster week-to-week increase in approval ratings than in any other region, while Gallup Korea indicated an approval level equal to that of the more politically diverse Seoul metropolitan area.

Analysts say this pattern could produce a spillover effect benefiting the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) while pushing the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) further into a corner, as it already struggles with internal divisions and difficulties in fielding competitive candidates.

“Presidential approval is important in any election and perhaps even more so in local elections, because there are so many candidates for various municipal offices,” said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.

More than 220 local government heads are set to be elected on June 3, including eight city mayors and nine provincial governors.

“Voters tend to rely on simple criteria, most notably party affiliation, in choosing candidates. Given the connection between a party and the president, presidential approval can influence downballot selections and shape the overall electoral landscape,” Shin said.

The professor predicted that the PPP will “face a tough, uphill battle” in the current political climate.

A Realmeter survey, commissioned by a local news outlet and released on Monday, showed the president’s approval rating rising for the third consecutive week to 62.2 percent, up from 58.2 percent on March 9 and 60.3 percent on March 16. The poll surveyed 2,513 adults nationwide from Monday to Friday last week.

A separate Gallup Korea survey of 1,004 adults, conducted from Tuesday to Thursday last week and released on Friday, showed Lee’s approval rating at 67 percent, setting a record high for the second consecutive week after hitting 66 percent the previous week.

The findings from both Realmeter and Gallup Korea had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.

By region, Realmeter found that Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province had an approval rating of 46.6 percent, a rise of 4.8 percentage points from the previous week. That increase was slightly bigger than in the DPK strongholds of Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces, where Lee’s approval rose 4.5 points to 88.6 percent.

The central regions — Daejeon, Sejong and North and South Chungcheong provinces — saw their approval rating of Lee rise 4.3 points to 68.8 percent, while Incheon and Gyeonggi Province increased 2.9 points to 63.6 percent. Seoul was the only region to record a decline, with the approval rating falling 4.7 points to 55.1 percent.

The Gallup Korea survey showed the approval rating surpassing 60 percent in all regions, including Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province with 63 percent.

The rate was lower than that of Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces, where support was highest at 87 percent, but equal to Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province combined.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a political commentator said, “Fielding candidates with strong capabilities is crucial for the PPP to secure its strongholds, but unfortunately, the process is not going well.”

He noted that internal friction left the PPP struggling to manage its candidate screening process, which eliminated incumbents and other strong contenders in regions including Daegu and North Chungcheong Province, triggering backlash within the party.

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