Support skids as S.Korea's Roh nears 6-month mark
( 2003-08-21 14:33) (Agencies)
South Korea's frequent labor
strife and uncertain economic picture have undercut President Roh Moo-hyun's
approval ratings as he approaches six months in office next week, a newspaper
survey showed on Thursday.
The JoongAng Ilbo daily poll showed 55.5 percent of respondents thought Roh
was doing a poor job, against 41.9 percent who rated his performance favorably.
Three months ago, detractors and supporters were about evenly split.
Respondents largely approved of Roh's handling of mercurial North Korea, the
newspaper said in a finding that comes days before six-country talks in Beijing
next week to try to resolve the impasse over the North's nuclear weapons
programs.
The former labor-lawyer got the lowest marks for his handling of the economy
and labor issues, after a series of walkouts in which government intervention
was seen as helping truckers, autoworkers and other groups win sweeping
concessions.
Of 834 adult voters surveyed, 75.7 percent gave him failing marks on the
economy, and 72.1 percent faulted his labor policies, said the JoongAng Ilbo,
which conducted the telephone poll this week with the East Asian Institute.
The central bank said last month South Korea had entered its first recession
in five years, and second quarter GDP data due to be published on Friday is
expected to confirm that assessment.
Roh's single five-year term runs through to February 2008 and he is barred by
the constitution from seeking re-election. His left-of-center government faces
parliamentary elections in April.
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