PPP approval sinks to 17%

Feb 27, 2026, 07:29 am

		0
Rep. Shin Dong-wook, a senior member of the People Power Party, listens during a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on Feb. 26. / Yonhap / Graphic by Park Jong-gyu

Support for the conservative People Power Party (PPP) has fallen to 17 percent, while the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) recorded 45 percent, according to a new nationwide poll released Wednesday.

The National Barometer Survey (NBS), conducted by four polling agencies from Feb. 23 to 25, showed the DPK’s approval rating rising 4 percentage points from two weeks earlier. The PPP’s support dropped 5 points over the same period.

The 17 percent rating marks the PPP’s second-lowest figure in NBS surveys since President Lee Jae-myung took office, following 16 percent recorded in early August last year.

The DPK led the PPP across all age groups. Regionally, it outpaced the PPP in every area except Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, known as the TK region, where both parties were tied at 28 percent.

Other parties polled included the Rebuilding Korea Party at 4 percent, the Reform Party at 3 percent and the Progressive Party at 1 percent.

President Lee’s job approval rating climbed to 67 percent, up 4 percentage points from the previous survey and the highest level recorded in NBS polls since his inauguration. Negative evaluations fell 5 points to 25 percent.

Positive assessments exceeded negative ones across all age groups, though among respondents in their 20s and younger, approval stood at 48 percent, below a majority threshold. Regionally, positive ratings surpassed 50 percent in all areas, including the TK region, where approval reached 56 percent.

In evaluations of party leaders, DPK leader Jung Cheong-rae received 43 percent positive and 42 percent negative responses, within the margin of error. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok saw 23 percent positive and 62 percent negative evaluations.

Regarding the June 3 local elections, 53 percent of respondents said the ruling party should be supported to ensure stability, while 34 percent favored empowering the opposition for checks and balances.

The survey was conducted via telephone interviews using mobile virtual numbers, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. The response rate was 14.9 percent. Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

#National Barometer Survey #Democratic Party of Korea #People Power Party