'Party approval rating at 26%, same as 15 months ago'

Yoon Sang-hyeon calls on Jang Dong-hyeok to consider allowing Han Dong-hoon's return

People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyeon [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyeon [Yonhap]

People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyeon called on party leader Jang Dong-hyeok to prioritize the party's future over factional interests and make a bold decision in the name of conservative unity.

Yoon posted Sunday on Facebook urging Jang to "embrace different voices and take the lead in opening the door wide to conservative unification," saying it was "the path to saving the party and preserving the balance of the Republic of Korea." The appeal was widely read as a push for broader conservative consolidation, including the possible return of independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon to the party.

Yoon said he felt a heavy sense of responsibility after reviewing recent Gallup Korea polling. An October survey found 47 percent of respondents believed more opposition candidates should win in the 2028 general election to check the government, outpacing the 34 percent who favored supporting the government. The pro-check sentiment was also dominant among centrist voters, he said.

He added that party approval ratings released Friday showed the Democratic Party at 39 percent and the People Power Party at 26 percent. "The Democratic Party rose 3 percentage points in a single week, while our party fell 2 points," he said. "Public sentiment calling for a check on the government is not translating sufficiently into support for the main opposition party."

Yoon said the PPP's 26 percent approval rating — 15 months into Jang's leadership — was in effect the same as the 25 percent recorded just before last year's party convention in August. "In the meantime, President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has dropped from 56 percent to 39 percent," he said. "While our opponent has stumbled this much, we have essentially stood still. Failing to capitalize even on the spillover effect is a warning that the public does not yet recognize us as a sufficient alternative."

"The public is looking not only for a force to check the government but also for an alternative they can entrust with running the country," Yoon said, adding that the party needed to pay closer attention to public sentiment in the Greater Seoul area. He said the PPP trailed the Democratic Party by a significant margin in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, and said Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's warning that "winning the metropolitan-area seats in the next general election would be difficult under the current leadership" deserved serious consideration.

Yoon also said internal party conflict could no longer be left unaddressed. He cited allegations that outside figures had been involved in recent disciplinary proceedings against a lawmaker, calling for an independent fact-finding committee to thoroughly determine the truth and restore public trust in the party. "While we sharpen our blades against one another, the public's heart will only drift further from the party," he said.

Yoon acknowledged that Jang had worked hard to lead the party through a difficult period and stand up to the government, but said the time had come for a decisive move. "A divided conservative bloc cannot win," he said. "What the People Power Party needs now is not politics that excludes anyone, but politics that gathers the scattered conservative forces back under one roof."

"The public wants a force capable of checking the Lee Jae Myung administration — but opposing the government alone will not earn their support," Yoon said. "When conservatives unite, the public will look to us again, and I too will do my part for the party's unity and renewal."


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