President Lee Jae-myung's mention of a 'decentralized constitutional amendment' has sparked controversy, prompting the Blue House to take early action to quell the situation. However, on the same day, Lee's approval ratings hit a record low since taking office, leading to online criticism such as, 'Don't ruin the country, just step down,' and 'Worry about being disqualified from office rather than re-election.'
On August 14, the Blue House stated that it believes a four-year presidential system with enhanced National Assembly powers has the highest level of public acceptance. A Blue House official remarked to reporters, 'We recognize the issues associated with the imperial presidential system.'
The official added, 'We aim to address the limitations of the imperial presidential system with a four-year term system, but this does not mean we are advocating for a parliamentary system or specifically referring to a decentralized presidential system.'
The problem arises as Lee's performance ratings have reached a new low, coinciding with renewed discussions about constitutional amendments, which have intensified public backlash online.
According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from August 11 to 13, which was released on August 14, Lee's job approval rating stands at 44%, while disapproval is at 46%, marking the first time disapproval has surpassed approval since he took office.
Compared to the previous survey, approval ratings dropped by 7 percentage points, while disapproval ratings increased by 8 percentage points.
Notably, the primary reason for disapproval was 'real estate policy,' cited by 30% of respondents, followed by economic and livelihood issues at 13%, and a general perception of poor performance at 7%.
In terms of party support, the Democratic Party's approval rating fell to 41%, a decrease of 3 percentage points from the previous survey, while the People Power Party rose to 25%, an increase of 2 percentage points.
As discussions about the four-year presidential system resurfaced, many online interpreted it as a potential opening for Lee's re-election, leading to strong criticism.
Netizens reacted with comments such as, 'Hearing about re-election, even if it means shortening his term, gave me chills,' and 'Why are we discussing constitutional amendments? What is the hidden agenda?' Others questioned, 'Who exactly do you mean by the public?' and 'I don't understand why we need to discuss amendments.'
One netizen remarked, 'Stop making terrible statements and focus on your trial,' adding, 'You should think about stepping down after restoring the national debt you increased over the past year and fixing the security, diplomatic, and economic mess you created.'
Another user stated, 'You have demonized past presidents like Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee as dictators for 40 years, and now you want to serve a second term? Especially in this situation where public trust has been shattered due to election fraud? After ruining the national economy? This is true dictatorship.'
Some netizens also commented on the approval ratings, saying, 'If Gallup shows this, the actual public sentiment must be even worse,' and '44% in a phone interview means it's already in the 30s.'
Meanwhile, the Gallup Korea survey was conducted via telephone interviews, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 9.7%. Detailed survey figures and methodology can be found on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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