More than 2,700 mourners packed an indoor stadium in Gyeonggi province on October 19 for a post-funeral ceremony ahead of a firefighter’s internment, setting a somber backdrop for a steep political downturn for South Korea’s ruling party. As uniformed firefighters filed past Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae—who stood on the green sports surfacing with tears streaming down her face—the somber proceedings highlighted not only the sacrifice of a serviceman who died battling a factory blaze, but also a sharp plunge in public support for the Democratic Party.
Realmeter Poll Registers Ruling Party Decline
The same day as the ceremony, authoritative pollster Realmeter released data showing the Democratic Party’s approval rating had dropped to 36.2 percent, falling behind the opposition People Power Party at 40.9 percent. It marked the first time since the June local elections that the PPP had outpolled the DP. Less than five months after sweeping the local polls, the ruling party registered a double-digit slide in popularity, led by a particularly steep drop in Seoul, where the DP polled at 26.7 percent compared to the PPP’s 45.7 percent.
Capital track records frequently reflect the sentiment of swing voters, and Seoul’s current political climate remains unsettled. Mayor Oh Se-hoon faced a potential exit from office should the Supreme Court uphold a special counsel’s charge that he allegedly paid a pollster to rig results in his favor. Although an appellate court overturned his guilty verdict on October 23, the Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on the case early next year, leaving the DP eyeing a potential by-election. Yet, with current poll numbers signaling a cratering popularity, success in the capital remains far from assured as the Lee Jae-myung administration prepares to tackle a sensitive reform agenda.
Governor Choo Faces Backlash over Firefighting Budget Comments
The ruling party’s polling slide has been largely self-inflicted, driven initially by comments from Gyeonggi Governor Choo. During an October 13 parliamentary audit, Choo asserted that “firefighting is like a financial straw, causing the biggest headache,” detailing the financial burden the service placed on provincial coffers. Firefighting unions strongly condemned the remarks, questioning how life-and-jeopardy service could be reduced to budgetary complaints. Despite calls for an apology, Choo initially demurred.
The provincial government later explained that the remarks referred to a ballooning local budget burden driven by decreasing financial contributions from the central government, even though firefighters are directly employed nationally. Regardless of intent, the phrasing triggered widespread public fury. That anger intensified on October 16 when a fire broke out at a metal printing factory in Gyeonggi, claiming the life of firefighter Kim Jin-seok in the line of duty.
When Choo attended Kim’s funeral on October 17, she offered a reluctant apology, stating, “Since you want an apology, I wholeheartedly apologize.” The forced tone backfired, drawing further public condemnation. Compounding the PR disaster, DP leader Kim Min-seok arrived at the funeral in a vehicle parked in a spot reserved for emergency patients.
Internal Clashes Over Prosecutorial Reform Nominations
Beyond local fallout, Choo has stoked friction within the ruling party by openly challenging President Lee Jae-myung over personnel decisions.
In September, President Lee nominated Kim Ji-yong, a former prosecutor, to lead the agency. Choo publicly rebuked the choice, writing on October 2, “Why appoint someone who can turn their back to the people and justice as the captain of our reform ship?” and accusing the president of “shivering before the insurrection forces.” Hard-line DP lawmaker Kim Yong-min joined Choo, contending that Kim Ji-yong had ties to former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration. President Lee defended the nominee, maintaining that Kim had maintained an anti-Yoon stance and arguing in social media posts and parliamentary submissions that the nominee possessed the necessary qualifications to establish a trustworthy criminal justice system.
The public rift deepened on October 9 when Lee criticized detractors on social media for staging internal attacks under the guise of radical reform out of frustration over personnel and policy directions. Simultaneously, an ongoing online dispute between Lee and Cho Kuk—former justice minister and founder of the Rebuilding Korea Party, the third-largest party in the National Assembly—further fractured the liberal support base. Tensions between Lee and Cho have boiled over since June, when the DP fielded a candidate against Cho in a parliamentary by-election, splitting liberal votes and handing the seat to the PPP.
As Media Tomato figures released on October 22 showed the RKP’s support reaching 9 percent—its highest since the Lee administration took office—President Lee has stepped in to manage internal dissent. With DP leader Kim Min-seok struggling to quell the unrest, the broader liberal bloc faces the critical challenge of coalescing its base ahead of future electoral tests.
