Young men continue giving Lee the cold shoulder even as president's numbers rise

President Lee Jae Myung’s job approval rating continues to rise in the early days of his presidency, but not among voters in their 20s, especially young men.

President Lee Jae Myung attends a Cabinet meeting held at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, on July 5.[PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Lee Jae Myung’s job approval rating continues to rise in the early days of his presidency, but not among voters in their 20s, especially young men.

In a poll released Monday, conducted by Realmeter from June 30 to July 4, Lee’s approval rating rose 2.4 percentage points from the previous week to reach 62.1 percent.

This marked the first time since his inauguration that his approval rating has exceeded 60 percent, with Lee receiving positive ratings in all regions and across most age groups.

However, the 20-something demographic proved an exception. Among this age group, 47 percent rated Lee positively, while 46.3 percent disapproved — virtually an even split. A separate party approval survey conducted July 3 to 4 revealed a similar trend.

Support for the liberal Democratic Party (DP) among those in their 20s was 38 percent, 7.1 percentage points higher than the conservative People Power Party's (PPP) 30.9 percent. Still, this figure lagged behind support for the DP among traditionally conservative age groups — 52.1 percent among those in their 60s and 39.6 percent among those 70 and older.

Other surveys show similarly subdued enthusiasm from younger voters. A Gallup Korea poll conducted from July 1 to 3 found that Lee’s approval rating among people in their 20s was just 49 percent, falling short of a majority.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at the presidential office in Seoul on July 1. [YONHAP]

In contrast, his approval ratings surpassed 50 percent among those in their 60s, at 54 percent, and among those in their 70s, at 56 percent. DP support in the 20s age group also trailed at 30 percent, compared to 37 percent among those in their 60s and 48 percent among those 70 and older.

Observers suggest that disaffection among men in their 20s is likely driving the trend. Exit polls from this year's presidential election showed that only 24 percent of men in their 20s voted for then-DP candidate Lee, compared to 58.1 percent of women in the same age group.

The ruling bloc sees this as a result of years of accumulated discontent. Disenchantment among young men began during the administration of Moon Jae-in, who pledged to be a “feminist president.” In February 2019, Moon’s Presidential Commission on Policy Planning even produced a report on the decline in approval among men in their 20s.

The rise of conservative figures, such as former PPP chairman Lee Jun-seok in June 2021 and the election in March 2022 of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who campaigned to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, helped solidify anti-DP sentiment among young male voters. The strategy of appealing to voters in their 20s and 30s as well as those in their 60s and 70s, effectively isolating voters in their 40s and 50s, was cited as a key factor in the conservative victory.

Lee Jun-seok, the minor Reform Party's candidate in the June presidential election, shakes hands during a campaign event in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 25. According to a joint exit poll by terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS, over a third of men in the 20s voted for him compared to just 4 percent of women in the same age group. [NEWS1]

Following his ouster from the PPP, Rep. Lee founded the splinter conservative Reform Party, which has drawn support from the same young male demographic. In the exit polls for this year's presidential election, the Reform Party founder garnered 37.2 percent support among men in their 20s — the highest among all candidates.

The DP faces a dilemma in how to respond. “Trying to win back support by dividing voters by gender could backfire,” said one first-term DP lawmaker. Despite more than 604,000 people signing a petition to expel Rep. Lee from the National Assembly for making inappropriate comments about women during a televised presidential debate, the DP has been reluctant to act.

“Criticizing Lee Jun-seok too harshly could just alienate more young men,” a party official said.

Instead of addressing gender issues directly, the ruling bloc is focusing on broader youth policies. On Monday, the presidential office announced a new position within the office to oversee youth affairs, with plans to appoint one man and one woman to the post through an open recruitment process.

Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok speaks during a campaign rally in front of Chung-Ang University in Dongjak District, southern Seoul on May 30. [YONHAP]

This approach will also be expanded to public-sector internship programs. The government policy coordination commission has also revived the youth savings program — a scheme previously abolished by the previous administration — to help young workers at small and mid-sized companies build wealth by offering financial incentives to those who stay at the same company for over two years.

The DP’s strategic planning committee is analyzing age-based voting patterns from the last presidential election and developing tailored responses. A recent amendment to the Commercial Act, passed Thursday under DP leadership, is also seen as part of its youth strategy. “The revision allows young people with limited assets to participate in stock investment, so it’s one way to win over younger voters,” a senior party official said.

“Young voters tend to be more responsive to personal gain than to ideology,” said Chae Jin-won, a professor at Kyung Hee University’s Institute of Public Governance. “If policies on real estate or stocks prove effective, their support could shift.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY KIM JEONG-JAE [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]