Back from the recent Chuseok holiday, President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a critical challenge in reversing his sharply declining approval ratings, which have hit record lows since he took office. The ongoing medical crisis has significantly contributed to the drop in support, compounded by negative public sentiment regarding first lady Kim Keon Hee's alleged involvement in candidate nominations for the general elections.

Moreover, both Yoon's approval ratings and those of his ruling People Power Party (PPP) are declining simultaneously, worsening the downward spiral. This has led to increasing difficulties in managing state administration. The presidential office and the PPP are at odds over how to address the ongoing medical gridlock. Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has been intensifying its attacks on the first lady, adding to the growing sense of crisis.

A recent Gallup Korea poll released on Sept. 13 revealed a striking result: Yoon's approval rating had dropped to just 20 percent, while his disapproval rating surged to 70 percent. The support rate for the PPP was at 28 percent, the lowest since the beginning of the Yoon administration.

More recently, a survey conducted by Realmeter and released on Sept. 16 indicated that 27.0 percent of the 2,500 respondents rated Yoon's presidential performance positively, down 2.9 percentage points from the previous week. Despite increasing slightly from the Gallup poll, the declining rate still alarms the ruling party. Realmeter attributed the drop to reduced support from conservatives, Yoon's core base, signaling trouble ahead for his future administration.

Given Korea's parliamentary power structure, where the opposition currently holds a majority, Yoon urgently needs to boost his public support. If he fails to rebuild this support, his approval rating could drop below 10 percent. In such a scenario, Yoon would face significant challenges in achieving his administration's key objectives as head of state.

Yoon and the political parties should focus on addressing pressing issues related to people's livelihoods to maintain public support. The 22nd National Assembly began its activities in full swing on Monday. As anticipated, the two main rival parties immediately clashed, locking horns over matters such as special counsel investigations into first lady Kim Keon Hee, the death of a Marine and a controversial financial bill.

PPP leader Han Dong-hoon and DPK chief Rep. Lee Jae-myung agreed to work together to improve the livelihoods of the people during their meeting earlier this month. However, the two main parties have failed to establish even a consultative body to make progress on agreements reached during their meeting. The two leaders also agreed to double down on efforts to proactively address other pressing issues related to the semiconductor industry, AI sector and stock market promotion. However, the parties have remained inactive in these areas so far.

The inaction and lack of sincerity from the two main parties in addressing urgent issues is deeply disappointing. They should have carefully considered the public's opinions expressed during the Chuseok holidays and put into practice the agreements reached by Han and Lee.

The DPK is pushing for the passage of the contentious special counsel bills, despite strong opposition from the PPP. Instead of solely launching political offensives, it should focus on addressing issues related to people's livelihoods.

The president should intensify efforts to improve his approval rating while strengthening cooperation between the presidential office and the PPP. They should refrain from causing further confusion and conflict concerning major issues, including the medical reform issue. In this context, it is encouraging that Yoon and PPP leaders, including Han, will soon meet to repair their strained relations and discuss a variety of issues.