Roh’s Approval Rating Rises to 38%


By Reuben Staines
Staff Reporter


Roh Moo-hyun

Steering clear of bipartisan disputes, successful international diplomacy and a newfound tact are helping President Roh Moo-hyun claw back public support, political analysts in Seoul said Friday.

Roh’s approval rating rose to 38 percent in a Media Research poll released Thursday, with aides attributing the result to gains among conservative, older voters.

Following a brief surge in support after being cleared of the impeachment in May, Roh’s approval rating dipped to as low as 28 percent in October.

Yoon Young-o, politics professor at Kookmin University, believed Roh’s state visits in Asia, South America and Europe played a significant role in rebuilding his reputation.

``While political parties were fighting at home, Roh did a pretty good job traveling abroad to enhance economic relations with other countries,’’ he said.

The president, often labeled parochial and diplomatically inept by critics, also appears to have returned with a more international, pragmatic view of the world, Yoon said.

``His experiences of the outside world were quite limited and it seems that his mindset and approach have been changed by the experience,’’ he explained.

Seeking to present his administration as moderate and shake off the anti-American tag, Roh made a surprise stopover to visit South Korean troops stationed in Iraq on his way back from Europe and followed this up by appointing the chairman of the relatively conservative JoongAng Ilbo as his new ambassador to the United States.

Roh’s reserved approach to sensitive domestic issues also signals a shift to the center. Distancing himself from the ruling Uri Party, the president earlier this week urged the National Assembly to resolve the current dispute over four controversial reform bills without ``wasting too much energy.’’

He said he will accept whatever decision the Assembly makes on scrapping the anti-communist National Security Law and focus his attention on reviving the economy. The statement represents an about-face from Roh’s earlier call to abolish what he labeled an ``old relic.’’

Kim Soo-jin of Ewha Womans University said by toning down his reform drive, Roh has been able to focus the public’s attention on the achievements of his presidency.

``President Roh and his government have made significant progress in Korean democracy, the public seem to be realizing this and it is paying off,’’ he said, referring to Roh’s bid to delegate powers outside the presidential office of Chong Wa Dae.

Yoon said the impending by-elections may have motivated Roh to take a more cautious approach and court moderate voters. ``At this point the ruling party is not winning any districts so the president and the party’s leadership have decided to rethink their direction,’’ he said.

While there is still some way to go to ensure the ruling party maintains its majority in the Assembly next year, Roh will at least end the turbulent year of 2004 with his popularity on an upward swing.

rjs@koreatimes.co.kr