Poll Shocker: 71.5% of South Koreans Support President Yoon’s Arrest Over Insurrection

A nationwide poll revealed that most South Koreans support President Yoon Suk Yeol’s immediate arrest on insurrection charges. In the race for the next presidency, Lee Jae Myung, leader of the Democratic Party, has strengthened his position as the leading candidate. Meanwhile, former leader Han Dong Hoon, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon Pyo, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se Hoon are locked in fierce competition within the People Power Party.

According to JoWon C&I, which surveyed 2,002 adults from March 14 to 16, 71.5% of respondents favored Yoon’s immediate arrest, while 26.4% opposed it.

Among those in favor, 66.8% strongly supported the arrest, and 4.6% expressed moderate support. On the other hand, 17.7% strongly opposed the arrest, 8.7% were somewhat against it, and 2.1% were undecided.

Support for Yoon’s arrest was high even in traditionally conservative regions, with 64.4% approval in Daegu, 71.4% in Gyeongbuk, 67.3% in Busan, 81.7% in Ulsan, and 65.9% in Gyeongnam.

However, support was significantly lower among conservative voters (35.8%) and People Power Party supporters (25.1%). In contrast, progressive voters (93.3%), Democratic Party supporters (95.7%), centrists (78.4%), and independents (78.9%) showed overwhelming support.

In the race for the next presidency, Lee Jae Myung, leader of the Democratic Party, has solidified his position as the frontrunner. The survey showed that Lee garnered 48.0% support, far ahead of his competitors.

Former People Power Party leader Han Dong Hoon came in second with 8.0%, followed by Daegu Mayor Hong Joon Pyo with 7.0%, Seoul Mayor Oh Se Hoon with 5.7%, and Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong Yeon with 5.7%.

Other candidates included former Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Won Hee Ryong (4.8%), Reform Party member Lee Jun Seok (4.0%), and People Power Party member Ahn Cheol Soo (2.8%).

Among progressive voters, Lee Jae Myung received 75.0% support, followed by Kim Dong Yeon with 6.1%. Conservative voters favored Han Dong Hoon (18.5%), with Lee Jae Myung (17.8%), Hong Joon Pyo (13.7%), and Oh Se Hoon (13.2%) following.

Democratic Party supporters overwhelmingly backed Lee Jae Myung at 79.2%, while Kim Dong Yeon came in second with 4.9%. Among People Power Party supporters, Han Dong Hoon led with 21.7%, followed by Hong Joon Pyo (17.7%), Oh Se Hoon (14.5%), Won Hee Ryong (12.7%), and Lee Jae Myung (8.2%).

Regarding potential presidential system reforms, 51.3% of respondents favored a four-year term with the possibility of re-election, making it the most popular choice across all party affiliations and ideological groups.

23.3% preferred the current five-year single-term system, 9.5% supported a parliamentary system, 2.5% backed a semi-presidential system, and 13.4% were undecided.

The survey was conducted using an Automated Response System (ARS) and employed 100% mobile phone Random Digit Dialing (RDD). It had a response rate of 4.7% and a margin of error of ±2.2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Statistical adjustments were made based on resident registration population data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as of November 2024, factoring in gender, age, and region.