Two parties, no winners: South Korean voters turn away from both DP and PPP

The share of South Korea's neutral voters, those who support neither of the country's major political parties, has reached its highest level in three years and one month, as growing dissatisfaction with both the ruling and opposition parties drives more voters away from partisan politics.

A total of 31 percent of respondents said they did not support any political party, according to a Gallup Korea survey of 1,000 adults aged 18 and older, conducted through telephone interviews from Tuesday to Thursday.

The figure rose 6 percentage points from the previous survey three weeks earlier, reaching its highest level since the fifth week of August 2023, when it stood at 32 percent.

The increase in unaffiliated voters came as support for both major parties declined.

Support for the ruling Democratic Party (DP) fell 5 percentage points to 35 percent, its lowest level since the Lee Jae Myung administration took office. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) also saw its approval rating slip 1 percentage point to 26 percent. Although the DP suffered a steeper decline, the PPP has failed to capitalize on its rival's losses.

The DP's falling support is widely attributed to a combination of diplomatic and security challenges and persistent infighting within the ruling bloc.

The fallout from former Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won's withdrawal on Sept. 19 has continued, while a land mine explosion in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on Sept. 21 was another issue for the administration. The discovery that the explosion was caused by a North Korean mine was seen as particularly damaging to the government and ruling party, which have pursued a policy of easing tensions with Pyongyang.

Other unresolved controversies include reports that National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok was unable to arrange a visit to the United States and the delay in issuing a U.S. visa to DP lawmaker Jung Chung-rae.

Infighting within the ruling bloc, which has persisted since the DP's Aug. 17 national convention, has also shown little sign of subsiding.

President Lee himself appeared to criticize members of his own party Friday.

"The bigger problem is when people who lack the ability demand high-ranking positions and try to dictate personnel appointments and national policies, then turn to calls for radical reform and attacks on their own side when they don't get their way," President Lee said.

Despite the ruling bloc's declining popularity, the president's own approval rating showed signs of stabilizing after falling for four consecutive weeks before the Chuseok holiday last month.

His approval rating stood at 37 percent, unchanged from three weeks earlier, while his disapproval rating fell 5 percentage points to 51 percent.

Yet the opposition party has failed to benefit from the ruling bloc's struggles.

The PPP's support has continued to decline even during the National Assembly's parliamentary audit season, traditionally an opportunity for the opposition to scrutinize the government and ruling party.

"We're losing our presence because we haven't offered any compelling policies beyond criticizing the government and ruling party," a two-term PPP lawmaker said.

The prevailing assessment is that both parties have brought the growing voter disillusionment upon themselves.

The parliamentary audits have also drawn criticism, with observers expressing disappointment as lawmakers focus more on trading insults than reviewing government policies.

Instead, lawmakers have increasingly engaged in what critics call "shorts politics" — provocative exchanges designed to generate short video clips for social media — further damaging the public's perception of politics.

Lawmakers from both parties have repeatedly traded insults and provocative remarks during the audits.

During a Legislation and Judiciary Committee session Tuesday, PPP lawmaker Kim Tae-kyu sparked controversy while discussing alleged historical distortions in the film "The Assassin(s)."

"Why don't we make a film called 'The Truth About Owl Rock'?" PPP Rep. Kim said, invoking the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun, who died after falling from Owl Rock on a mountain in South Gyeongsang in 2009.

At a Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee session Wednesday, fellow PPP lawmaker Park Choong-kwon drew attention by referring to Unification Minister Chung Dong-young as "Buk Dong-young," replacing the first syllable of his surname with the Korean word for "North."

DP floor leader Han Byung-do criticized the opposition's conduct, but lawmakers from the ruling bloc have also faced criticism over their language.

“He is brazenly defying the president's demand for his renomination [of a judicial candidate], claiming there is no constitutional basis for it,” DP lawmaker Lee Sung-yoon said during Tuesday's Legislation and Judiciary Committee session, in which Chief Justice Jo Hee-de attended.

Jinbo Party lawmaker Son Sol also challenged Jo and asked “Are you trying to become the next Yoon Suk Yeol?" to which Jo replied, "That is an extremely insulting thing to say.”

Political experts say the simultaneous decline in support for both major parties and the rise in unaffiliated voters reflect deepening public distrust of a political system that has failed to deliver compromise or meaningful results.

"Even when there are conflicts, negotiations should produce at least some tangible results, but that isn't happening," said Lee Hyeon-woo, a professor of political science and international relations at Sogang University. "Both parties are trapped in an equilibrium of mutual destruction, where they repeatedly engage in provocative confrontations while dragging each other down."

BY YANG SU-MIN [[email protected]]