Amid Golf Feud, Lee Jae-myung's Approval Hits Low of 35% (22 characters including spaces)

Weekend Golf Disclosure: Cheong Wa Dae's Counterattack Against 'Emperor Golf' Attacks

President Lee Jae-myung's weekend golf outing has sparked a political firestorm. Cheong Wa Dae took the unusual step of publicly disclosing the president's visit to Taereung Country Club, emphasizing transparency, but the People Power Party escalated its criticism, calling it "emperor golf." People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo claimed the president played golf on the same day a commercial building collapse occurred in Daegu, while Cheong Wa Dae countered that the president issued on-site instructions immediately after the accident. The president is said to have ordered "all-out efforts for search and rescue" at the time of the collapse.

The essence of the dispute is not golf itself, but a question of leadership judgment. Cheong Wa Dae's decision to disclose the schedule is interpreted as an attempt to show a clear separation between private leisure and official duties. The opposition, meanwhile, is questioning the overlap with a national disaster, seeking to test the government's crisis-response instincts. Since both sides' claims revolve around the same date, Cheong Wa Dae's standards for disclosing the president's schedule are expected to become clearer going forward.

35% Approval: The Weight of a Post-Inauguration Low

Behind the opposition offensive lies a shift in public sentiment. In opinion polls, the Democratic Party of Korea's approval rating has fallen to 35%, the lowest since the Lee Jae-myung government took office. Negative assessments of the president have also surpassed 50%. For an opposition party with viable political prospects, the calculation is that attacking the government simultaneously on disaster response and leisure activities could shake up stagnant public sentiment.

Reading the numbers the other way also offers clues for the ruling camp. If the drop in approval stems more from emotional alienation than policy failure, then a mere shift in communication style could open room for a rebound. In fact, the president has recently pledged to continue visiting the field with minimal security and communicating via social media. The disclosure of leisure activities could be read in the same vein.

Housing Supply Remarks: A Policy Message Amid the Feud

Even amid the controversy, Cheong Wa Dae has not let go of its policy message. President Lee said that "housing supply will return to normal soon," noting that permits and construction starts are recovering in earnest. In a political climate dominated by repeated partisan battles during the parliamentary audit season, the strategy appears aimed at redirecting voter attention to real-economy indicators. The pace of improvement in ordinary people's lived economic conditions is expected to be a key variable in any rebound in approval ratings.

It is often said that leadership means setting direction. Whether the weekend golf controversy remains a one-off incident or becomes a turning point in this period of record-low approval will ultimately depend on how well the presidential office balances crisis management, communication, and policy. The opposition's offensive is expected to continue for some time, overlapping with the parliamentary audit schedule.