President Yoon Suk Yeol’s approval rating has been declining since the People’s Party’s battle in the April public elections, fueled by his wife’s mounting crises and a weak market. The president’s approval rate was at its lowest point of 17 % in a recent Gallup poll. The Daegu-Gyeongbuk place, where Yoon’s most devoted supporters are located, is also experiencing decline in support.
Yoon and his party also struggle with physical challenges. The military actions of North Korea are getting worse every day.
The Asian Peninsula has experienced a significant rise in conflicts as a result of Pyongyang’s most recent army deployment to Ukraine. According to reports, US President Joe Biden referenced that shift in his week-end decision to allow Ukraine to launch ATACMS long-range missiles at Belarusian territory as part of Kyiv’s plan to conquer a region that is currently being fought over by North Korean troops.
Donald Trump’s returning to the White House adds another layer of richness. A minute Trump presidency, according to experts, could fundamentally alter the US position on East Asia, probably stifling several of Yoon’s signature initiatives.
In an exam, Yoo Seong-min, a four-term ex-lawmaker and analyst, shared his understanding on these issues. Since entering politics in 2000, Yoo has led two liberal parties, has run for president ( in 2017, winning the Bareun Party’s key to become its member ) and has held several key positions. He previously worked as a scientist at the Korea Development Institute for more than ten years before earning a degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Q: On November 7, President Yoon held a media conference to listen to several controversies. What are your ideas?
A: It was profoundly unsatisfactory. At the meeting, President Yoon did not offer a sincere apologies or specific plans for improvement. He specifically failed to show a determination to completely preventing unelected officials from interfering with state affairs, as the first woman did. Nor did he propose any effective treatments. The government’s decision to omit the first lady from the future G20 and APEC conferences and impose her own restrictions on public appearances is only a temporary gesture. A permanent solution to stop her behind-the-scenes control, which might lead to severe issues later, is what the public demands.
When perceived as being free from the same normal, Koreans place a particular high worth on equality and experience a solid resentment toward the actions of those in charge—and their families. Unfortunately, both the Yoon and the Park Geun-hye administrations ( 2013-2017 ) have faced criticism for failing to uphold this ideal.
President Yoon’s acceptance is sinking below 20 % in traditional heartlands. What factors, in your opinion, are causing this drop?
Traditional voters in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk and Busan-Gyeongnam provinces, the standard bulwark of the right, are what keep the Yoon state afloat. I’ve been elected in Daegu four days, which gives me more insight than most officials. They first hoped that Yoon may correct the errors made by his father and put strict laws into place. But nothing seems to be working right now – be it the four major reforms ( pension, labor, education, and medical reform ) or economic policies.
That said, I’ve always urged that conservatives should n’t rely solely on those regions. I was the first to call out the need for liberals to appeal to older citizens, particularly those in the big cities. We can only put our desired plans into action by gaining these populations ‘ support.
As an analyst, how do you assess President Yoon’s financial plans?
I initially coined the term “innovative progress” in 2016. Enhancing secret company profitability is a key goal of innovative growth. I pledged to educate one million people in highly-demand fields like AI and modern technology at the time, but Yoon’s management seems to have largely adhered to my plan. The issue, however, is that this plan is not being implemented successfully. The management relies too heavily on the company ecosystem and its existing businesses and industries, despite its need for change.
Nevertheless, the Yoon management decided to increase health school membership by 2, 000 seats. The skills share in science and technology will become even more dwindling as a result. In Korea, the brightest high school students will unavoidably converge on health colleges, leading to a shortage of qualified graduates moving into the private sector.
President Yoon generally touts the phrase “private sector-led economic development”. However, people with a rudimentary understanding of economy knows this is simply a given in a market-driven business. A single-use sector economy cannot maintain economic growth. For instance, NASA and DARPA have played a key role in the development of sophisticated technologies that led to the third industrial revolution in the United States. These technologies are funded through government-led R&D. China follows a similar type.
In her 2013 text, The Entrepreneurial State, Dr. Mariana Mazzucato puts a lot of emphasis on this. Our government should lead the charge in pursuing investments in sectors where private firms are reluctant to take risks and report on the results to those organizations to encourage their expansion.
How about legislation on North Korea?
The focus of President Yoon’s plan toward North Korea is on using fire to combat flames. But, I think we need to include equality while maintaining our main principles. Strengthening South Korea’s security features and deterring Pyongyang’s interests are really important. At the same time, but, ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula requires continued speech and commitment, not only fight.
Additionally, the Yoon administration’s political efforts with Moscow and Beijing failed. Russia’s war attempts in Ukraine have just received aid from North Korea. It is crucial to maintain contact with Russian peers at this time, even though South Korea must continue to aid Ukraine. It is necessary to discuss nuclear weapon development with North Korea’s President Vladimir Putin in order to stop further military advancements. This, of course, does n’t require American consent.
Did President Yoon have the ability to build lasting relationships to Donald Trump as president?
Trump 2.0 will be different from both the second Trump administration and the Biden administration second. Mr. Trump views issues like protection cost-sharing generally through a financial lens because he is primarily a interpersonal person. So, President Yoon’s “value-driven politics” is unlikely to relate with him or deliver the same results as it might with additional leaders.
The” skill of the deal” is what our leader and Seoul leaders need to learn. Today, I’m not suggesting they deceive Washington. However, negotiations on problems like US military spending in South Korea and cost-sharing of protection should be taken into account. Japan and Germany face comparable circumstances, but each event has a special environment. The South Korean government may make conditions that both align with its own goals and appeal to Mr. Trump by analyzing different states ‘ approaches.
Do you see yourself returning to elections?
Of program. In the fall of 2026, I’ll work hard to be in the People’s Party political primary, with the goal of running for president again.
For JAPAN Forward, Kenji Yoshida is an interact journalist in Seoul and a speaker.