Yoon's approval rating inches down to 30 pct: poll

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, April 28 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched down slightly but remained at the 30 percent level after his remarks on Ukraine and Taiwan raised tensions with Russia and China, a poll showed Friday.

In the poll of 1,001 adults aged 18 or over conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday to Thursday, positive assessment of Yoon's performance inched down 1 percentage point from the previous week to 30 percent.

Yoon's disapproval rating was 63 percent, up 3 percentage points from the previous week.

In the latest poll, diplomacy was the factor most cited by respondents in giving either positive or negative assessments of Yoon's performance.

The pollster suggested that this may have been influenced by Yoon's recent interview with Reuters, where he signaled a shift away from the country's policy of providing only non-lethal aid to Ukraine. In the interview, the president also expressed opposition to changing the status quo by force with regard to tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Both Russia and China bristled at the remarks.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

khj@yna.co.kr
(END)