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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee wave goodbye as they board the presidential plane in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 15 after wrapping up a six-day tour of Southeast Asia. (Yonhap)

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s job approval rating has fallen below 30% once again.

After polling 1,007 voters around the country between Monday and Wednesday, Embrain Public, K-Stat Research, Korea Research and Hankook Research announced Thursday that 29% of respondents thought that Yoon is doing a good job, while 62% said he is doing a poor job. The poll had a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 points.

Yoon’s positive approval rating was down 2 points from a poll two weeks prior, while his negative approval rating increased by 2 points.

When asked about the presidential office’s decision to block MBC reporters from boarding Yoon’s presidential plane for his official trip to Southeast Asia, 65% said that taking away their reporting opportunity was “inappropriate.” Only 28% of respondents said the measure was “necessary to prevent distorted and biased reporting.”

Fortnightly approval (red) and disapproval (gray) ratings of Yoon shown since his inauguration in May. Disapproval overtakes approval just after the fifth week of June. Bar graph indicates “I don’t know” or nonresponse.

In regard to opposition parties’ push to hold a parliamentary probe into the deadly crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood, 55% said the probe was “necessary,” which was about 14 points higher than those who said it was “unnecessary” (41%).

Poll respondents were divided on the question of whether to release a list of names of victims of the Itaewon disaster. Among the respondents, 49% said the idea to release the list was “solely intended to politically exploit the sadness of the victims and bereaved families,” while 45% said “the names and photographs ought to be released as long as the families do not object.”

When respondents were asked about which party they support, the opposition Democratic Party received the most support (33%), followed by the ruling People Power Party (30%) and the minor progressive Justice Party (4%).

By Lee Jung-ae, staff reporter

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