PUBLIC POLL ON NEW GOVERNMENT

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With less than a month left until Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration, KBS conducted a poll to see what people expected of the incoming government. More than half the respondents were found to have high expectations for his governing capability.

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The poll asked how Yoon Suk-yeol would conduct state affairs. 58.2% of the respondents said he would do well. 35.5% said he wouldn't. That's a difference of 22.7% points. Compared to another KBS poll taken last month amid tensions between the outgoing and incoming governments over relocating the presidential office, optimists increased by about 6% points, while pessimists fell by 4% points. When analyzed by ideological tendencies, the conservatives and moderates generally gave positive answers and the progressives negative ones. The poll also asked about Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo. Four out of 10 respondents answered that he is the right person for the job, outnumbering those who don’t think so by 6.8% points. 24% of respondents said they don’t know or didn’t answer. However, 57.7% said that Han should explain how his 2-billion-won adviser fee from the Kim & Chang law firm was relevant to his job, while 36.3% said it didn’t matter. The survey also asked about the old and new governments’ rights to make personnel appointments. More than 60% of respondents called for the current government to discuss with the transition committee officials who will work under the Yoon government. This is about twice the opinion that the incumbent president could appoint anyone he wishes before his term is over. On the question about the policies the new government should prioritize, 31.9% said stabilization of prices, followed by lowering real estate prices and overcoming COVID-19. 65.3% wanted lower possession and transfer taxes to resolve real estate issues... overtaking those who called for higher taxes by more than 30% points. Also, nearly half of the respondents answered that the controversial three laws on property lease should be curtailed or abolished.