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7 in 10 think Yoon Suk Yeol should stay out of public eye during upcoming presidential election

Published: 06 Apr. 2025, 13:31

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol waves to his supporters on March 8. [NEWS1]

Seven out of 10 respondents said former President Yoon Suk Yeol should refrain from political activity during the election period, according to a public opinion poll conducted after the Constitutional Court's decision to remove him from office on Friday.

However, 44.8 percent of respondents said they could not accept the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

According to the results of a survey conducted by polling agency Research View on Friday on 1,000 people nationwide aged 18 and over, 68.6 percent responded that Yoon “should reflect on himself as the person responsible for causing a national crisis."

In contrast, 20.6 percent said he “should claim the injustice of his dismissal and intervene in the presidential election."

Those who said they “accept” the Constitutional Court’s dismissal decision accounted for 52.2 percent of respondents, while 44.8 percent said they could not accept it.

When asked what they considered the defining spirit or theme of the 21st presidential election, 23.8 percent chose “clearing out the wrongdoings of the Yoon administration,” followed by “co-governance and national unity” at 20.8 percent, “overcoming the economic crisis” at 18.6 percent and “establishing the rule of law” at 10.8 percent.

A citizen takes a selfie with a Yoon Suk Yeol installation in central Seoul on April 4. [NEWS1]

In a poll on preferred presidential candidates within the People Power Party, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo ranked first with 18.6 percent, followed by former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min at 14.4 percent. Next were former party leader Han Dong-hoon at 10.3 percent, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo at 9.1 percent, lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo at 6.2 percent and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon at 5.8 percent.

Within the Democratic Party, party leader Lee Jae-myung ranked overwhelmingly first with 48.9 percent, followed by former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum at 8.1 percent and Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon at 7.5 percent.

The survey was conducted using an automated response system method with mobile phone subscribers. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level, and the response rate was 3.8 percent. Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY LEE HAY-JUNE [[email protected]]