Much has been said of the incredibly low approval ratings President Yoon Suk-yeol is experiencing in the early stages of his tenure. With its leaders only able to serve one five-year term, South Korea is used to the lame duck phenomenon. However, they’ve rarely seen public support drop this far this quickly. His predecessor, Moon Jae-in, reached a term low of 29 percent after four years. According to some polls, Yoon has hit 28 percent after less than three months in office.
What is interesting is there hasn’t been one notable scandal that has caused the recently-elected president to lose favor in the eyes of the public. He hasn’t been caught with his figurative trousers down or metaphorical hands in the cookie jar. Moreover, the frequent (and rather distasteful) attacks against his wife suggesting a courtesan past have yet to show anything more concrete than murals painted on walls by activists.
A Gallup Poll released on Friday questioned 1,000 members of the South Korean public on their support for Yoon. It must be remembered that while social media has exploded and reported this data with varying amounts of glee and trepidation, the population of the country is 51.3 million people. Moreover, last month, Yoon’s People Power Party achieved a big victory in the local elections. If there were another hypothetical presidential election held tomorrow featuring Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Lee Jae-myoung, I wouldn’t necessarily bet against Yoon and his partying winning again were my mortgage on the line.
From the 1,000 people surveyed, the greatest source of dissatisfaction has been the president’s appointments of ministers. These have largely been a cohort of elderly men from the same background and university as the president. Moreover, many are seen as either incompetent or inappropriate. In an age in which identity and representation are important to many, this is simply not good enough. I’m not sure of the legalities of such actions, but I remain somewhat disappointed Yoon didn’t attempt something more audacious by offering positions to members from other parties. Imagine, for example, he had offered leading members of the Justice Party the opportunity to reform the Ministry of Women and Family?
The battle for control of both the police and the prosecution threatens to cause major disruptions to the country. Citizens do not want law to be a tool of the ruling class, utilized to attack their enemies and protect their allies. Fairness and equality are key values for many in the country and seeing political elites fight over who gets to control the exercise of power is particularly galling. It’s likely no coincidence that dramas such as “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” “Law School,” “Stranger 2,” and “Juvenile Justice” have been very popular here recently.
Perhaps the most troublesome story in the country is the forced repatriation of the two North Korean fishermen under the Moon Jae-in administration which has recently come to light. A task force has been set up to investigate this. Personally, I have no insight into what took place. Much of the conversation seems to be highly politicized, however, with people taking their position according to whom they support rather than ever thinking about the legality of the situation or the lives of the two men involved.
Ultimately, it seems that many people didn’t vote for Yoon. They voted against the DPK. Yoon assumed power through an anti-vote. There was anger that the promises of the Candlelight Revolution which brought Moon to power quickly dissolved into politics as normal. Soaring housing prices, failed engagement with Pyongyang, hypocrisy over ministerial appointments, and a slew of sexual scandals brought the DPK’s rule to an end after just five years. The country here didn’t suddenly become more ideologically conservative. Nor did Yoon suddenly become a charismatic figure capable of inspiring hope among people.
Just as the public here can bestow power, they can also quickly take it away. Some traditional analyses liken the South Korean population to a sea and the leader (king/president) to a boat. The sea keeps the boat afloat atop the waves. But it can also capsize it at a minute’s notice. But let’s not forget social media and 24-hour news cycles have fundamentally changed the way people experience politics. There are people tweeting online all day, every day, retweeting, fuming, celebrating, and living vicariously through the rise and fall of political figures. Moreover, much of this analysis takes place through images. Headlines and photos dominate the narrative online. Sadly, this also affects much of television and newspapers as well now. Just as a K-pop debut has to reach heights and a transferred sports star is afforded little time to settle, people are already judging a president before he has even started. It makes the job somewhat untenable. Or maybe, for some, that’s the point?
I’m able to vote in local elections here but not for the president. Thus it’s not really my position to get involved in who should do what. But I can only try to encourage the current president to focus on real estate, food prices, the gas pumps, and the values of fairness and equality. This will not be enough for some, but as the country’s elected leader, it would be nice to see him work for the people rather than simply fighting against the enemy. Of course, the DPK and us citizens also have a role to play in all this.
Twenty years ago the neologisms on everyone’s lips were full of hope. Now, it’s all anger, frustration, and concession. It would be nice if we could create something a bit more positive for our children and the next generation. It has been said the government is merely a reflection of society’s soul. In that sense we get the leaders we deserve. When we find little of value in the political class, it’s our responsibility to let it be known. Not to simply reify and extend their mandate. Moreover, any time we find ourselves justifying our political decisions as merely being the choice of the lesser of two evils, we should not be so quick to forget that we are in fact still choosing evil.
