SEOUL, January 01 (AJP) -New Year polls show economic anxiety outweighs political concerns as livelihoods come under strain in South Korea.
Across multiple polls released at the turn of the year, voters expressed more anxiety than optimism — not in the form of crisis fear, but as a growing sense of fatigue from prolonged cost pressures and stalled improvement in daily life.
Roughly 45–50 percent of respondents said the economy would worsen this year, while only the mid-30 percent range expected improvement. Notably, those predicting a sharp deterioration remained limited to around 10 percent, suggesting the public is not bracing for collapse but rather for continued stagnation under high prices and tight financial conditions.
This pattern reflects what analysts describe as a widening gap between macro indicators and lived experience. Inflation has moderated on paper, but household budgets remain strained, reinforcing a sense that economic recovery has yet to reach everyday life.
Economic performance outweighs political alignment
Presidential approval ratings in several surveys hovered in the mid-50 percent range, with negative evaluations in the mid-30s to low-40s. Yet the reasons cited by respondents point less to ideology or foreign policy than to bread-and-butter concerns such as prices, jobs and housing costs.
In other words, political judgment is increasingly being filtered through economic outcomes. Policy effectiveness — not rhetoric — has become the dominant yardstick.
This shift is also visible in party support. Rather than a clear advantage for either camp, surveys show a notable expansion of independents, with 25–30 percent of respondents saying they support no party. In some polls, the non-aligned group rivals or exceeds individual party support.
The rise of this bloc suggests not apathy, but caution: voters appear unwilling to commit politically until they see tangible improvements in daily life.
Seoul mayoral race mirrors broader sentiment
The same pattern emerges in polling on the Seoul mayoral race. Hypothetical two-way matchups show margins largely within the statistical error range, with leading candidates clustered between the high-30s and low-40s.
Equally striking is the share of respondents answering “undecided” or “no preferred candidate,” which reaches around 20 percent in some surveys. The data suggest that Seoul voters are withholding judgment rather than rallying behind partisan identities.
Age-group breakdowns reinforce this view. Among voters in their 20s and 30s, pessimism about the economy is particularly strong, and political engagement is more conditional. Many in this group say politics has limited power to improve their lives, reflecting concerns over housing affordability, job stability and long-term mobility.
Another notable shift is the weakening of the traditional “government evaluation” frame. In several surveys, more respondents prioritized policy outcomes over assigning political responsibility. The underlying question has changed from who is to blame to what actually works.
Experts interpret this as accumulated political fatigue combined with prolonged economic pressure. As inflation remains sticky and real purchasing power recovers slowly, public patience with symbolic politics has thinned. Messaging centered on ideology or confrontation is proving less persuasive than concrete, measurable results.
Taken together, the New Year surveys amount to more than a snapshot of approval ratings. They form a collective portrait of economic sentiment — cautious, fatigued and pragmatic.
The tight race seen in Seoul mayoral polling fits this broader picture. Voters are not rallying around personalities or camps, but reserving judgment until they see credible plans and execution on housing, costs of living and urban management.
For policymakers, the challenge ahead is no longer how to win the political narrative, but how to translate policy into improvements people can actually feel.
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