President Park's approval rating reaches near 50%

President Park Geun-hye’s approval rating has skyrocketed to reach nearly 50 percent, hoisted by the dramatic inter-Korean agreement earlier in the week that tamed cross-border tensions, a poll showed Friday.

Gallup Korea said a survey of 1,004 adults conducted Aug. 25-27 showed that 49 percent of them supported Park, compared to 44 percent that didn’t, marking this year’s highest approval rating. Her job ratings this year had hovered around 30 percent. Those in their 40s and 50s showed the highest surge in approval with an increase of 20 percentage points. 

By party, 44 percent supported the ruling Saenuri Party, while 21 percent favored the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy.

The majority, or 65 percent, said the recent inter-Korean negotiation was done well, because it sought peaceful resolution through dialogue (23 percent), alleviated tension and the quasi-war state (22 percent) and pushed North Korea to show regret (13 percent), among other reasons. Some 16 percent did not approve of the negotiation, especially because the show of regret was insufficient (30 percent). 



(khnews@heraldcorp.com)