Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol hold a rally in central Seoul, Saturday. The ruling People Power Party's approval rating exceeded that of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea despite a criminal investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol, a new poll showed on Monday. Newsis

The approval rating of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) surpassed that of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), despite an ongoing criminal investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to a new poll released on Monday.

The survey, conducted by Realmeter, found that 46.5 percent of 1,004 respondents expressed support for the PPP, an increase from 40.8 percent the previous week. In contrast, 39 percent indicated support for the DPK, a decrease from 42.2 percent.

This is the first time in six months that the PPP's support rate has surpassed the DPK's by more than the margin of error, which stands at 3.1 percent, according to the pollster.

When asked which political party they would prefer to win the next presidency, 48.6 percent of respondents said they would support the current ruling party, while 46.2 percent favored one of the opposition parties.

The survey results indicate that the conservative voters are becoming more united, driven by a growing distrust of the DPK and negative sentiment toward its leader, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who is widely seen as the front-runner in the upcoming presidential election, according to experts.

Just three weeks ago, following the president's impeachment at the National Assembly, the gap appeared insurmountable, with more than 60 percent of respondents expressing a preference for one of the opposition parties over the PPP.

"A poll conducted in the fourth week of December 2024 showed that the rate of those who called for opposition-led changes in government was nearly twice as high as that of people who wanted the ruling party to retain power. But since then, the gap has steadily narrowed to the point where the two sides are now almost equal," Realmeter said.

This result comes after the arrest of Yoon, who is expected to be indicted on charges of insurrection, abuse of power and other offenses related to his decision to impose martial law on Dec. 3.

"Yoon, as president, has been at the center of attention in public surveys. But now the focus seems to have shifted to [DPK leader] Lee after Yoon's dramatic fall," Hong Hyeong-sik, a political analyst, told The Korea Times. "The figures also indicate that many individuals who consider themselves politically neutral share concerns about the potential rule of the DPK, a sentiment echoed by most conservatives."

Last week, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the police deployed thousands of officers to forcibly detain the president. This unprecedented and televised event may have contributed to further uniting conservatives, who are increasingly concerned about the long-term impact of DPK rule, given the party's comfortable majority in the Assembly, experts said.

Meanwhile, many politically neutral voters may have felt disillusioned by the DPK's aggressive actions, which they viewed as threats to core democratic values, such as freedom of speech.

"For instance, the DPK threatened to file a criminal complaint against a pollster that released a survey result it deemed 'favorable' to the PPP. It also established a 'democratic police station' to combat 'fake news.' Such actions have alarmed many people who deeply care about democratic values and fear what the DPK might do to undermine them," Hong said.

According to a poll carried out by Hankook Research at The Korea Times' request last month, the DPK chairman was found to be a favorite to win the next presidential election, with 35 percent supporting him, far ahead of rivals including Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.