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Feb. 19. They also called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate state institutions‘ interference in the 2012 presidential election. (by Shin So-young

By Song Ho-jin, staff reporter

Eight out of ten South Koreans feel the Democratic Party is “not doing its part” as the country’s main opposition party, poll results show.

Results from a regular survey released on Feb. 19 by the polling organization Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) showed 83.7% of respondents agreeing that the Democratic Party (DP) was “not doing its part.” The most commonly cited reason was “obstructionism and failure to suggest alternatives,” which was given by 50.6% of respondents. Another 19.6% cited the DP’s “failure to speak for a struggling low-income people.”

Analysts said the high rate of “obstructionism” responses may have to do with nearly 70% of supporters of the ruling Saenuri Party (NFP) and respondents over 50 selecting it as their top complaint. Of the 64.1% of DP supporters who felt the party was “not doing its part,” 32.7% cited obstructionism, while 28.5% said it was “failing to check the Park Geun-hye administration.”

71.7% of respondents characterized their feelings toward the DP as “negative,” with 40.1% answering that they “used to like the party, but not anymore.” This sentiment was especially strong among respondents from the Honam region (52.5%), those in their forties (48%), males (45.5%), and progressives (45.7%).

staff photographer)

Most respondents disapproved of Kim Han-gil’s performance as DP leader, with 60.5% rating his performance as “poor.” In terms of general image, the party received low scores for credibility (12.8%), helping improve quality of life (11.3%), competence (10.5), and future vision (7.5%).

Nearly half of respondents, or 49.2%, said the party needed to be “more progressive,” with 41.5% calling for “stronger welfare policies” to achieve this, and another 21.6% advocating a “broader range of voices.” General party support ratings were 40.2% for the Saenuri Party, 20.2% for the as-yet-unnamed new party currently being launched by software mogul and independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, and 17.3% for the DP. President Park Geun-hye’s performance was rated as “good” by 62.9% of respondents.

“These survey results suggest that respondents feel progressive values are important for the Democratic Party,” said KSOI president Kim Gap-su. “The message seems to be that it needs to be a capable party that truly speaks for the low-income and middle classes.”

For the survey, a total of 1,000 adults across the country were contacted by random digit dialing on Feb. 16-17, with equal numbers of home and mobile phone calls. The confidence level was 95%, with a 3.1% margin of error.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]