Roh Moo-hyun receives highest post-presidency approval, Yook Suk Yeol lowest: survey

Official portraits of South Korea's former presidents hang on the wall of Cheongwadae, the former presidential residence of South Korea, beginning with former President Roh Moo-hyun's portrait (left). (Herald DB)

Former President Roh Moo-hyun received the highest retrospective approval rating among South Korea’s past presidents, while former President Yoon Suk Yeol ranked lowest, a poll showed Friday.

In the Gallup Korea survey, 68 percent of respondents said Roh “did many good things as president.” He was followed by former Presidents Park Chung-hee (62 percent), Kim Dae-jung (60 percent), Kim Young-sam (42 percent), Lee Myung-bak (35 percent) and Moon Jae-in (33 percent).

Yoon topped the list of leaders viewed negatively, with 77 percent saying he had done “many wrong things.” Following him were former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan (68 percent), Park Geun-hye (65 percent), Roh Tae-woo (50 percent), Lee Myung-bak (46 percent) and Moon Jae-in (44 percent).

Chun, an Army general-turned-strongman, oversaw the deadly crackdown on the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. Park Geun-hye was the first sitting Korean president to be removed from office through impeachment and was later convicted on corruption charges.

The second to be removed was Yoon, whose impeachment was unanimously confirmed by the Constitutional Court in April.

The nationwide poll of 1,000 eligible voters was conducted from Tuesday to Thursday, asking whether each president from Syngman Rhee to Yoon had done “more good things or more bad things” during their tenure.

This year marked the first time Yoon was included in a survey rating former presidents. Just 12 percent said he “did more good things.” The figure was roughly in line with his approval rating (11 percent) in December 2024, after his impeachment.