Democratic Party Candidate Claims His Election Will Boost President's Approval Ratings

A candidate vying for the leadership of South Korea's Democratic Party believes his victory is crucial for reviving President Lee's flagging approval ratings. Jung Chung-rae, a contender in the August 17th party convention, asserted that his election would directly lead to a significant increase in the president's support, potentially raising it by over 10 percentage points to exceed 60%.

Jung stated that the president's declining popularity stems from a disengagement among the party's traditional, core supporters. "The hearts of our traditional core supporters have cooled," he explained during a press conference at the National Assembly. "I will reignite the passion in the hearts of our traditional core supporters."

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The hearts of our traditional core supporters have cooled. I will reignite the passion in the hearts of our traditional core supporters.

He expressed concern over the downward trend in the president's approval ratings since the June 3rd local elections. Jung believes he commands strong support from this core demographic and that his success in the leadership race will translate into renewed public confidence for the president. He predicted an immediate 5-point jump in approval upon his election, with a further 10-point rise in the short term.

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Those who have lost the elections they personally ran in, how much do they want to win?

Jung also addressed his rivals, particularly Kim Min-seok, who announced plans to prepare for the 2027 Seoul mayoral race and a by-election in Gangneung. Jung sarcastically noted that both Song Young-gil and Kim Min-seok have previously run for Seoul mayor and lost. "Those who have lost the elections they personally ran in, how much do they want to win?" he quipped, vowing to lead the Seoul mayoral and Gangneung by-elections to victory.

Furthermore, Jung firmly opposed the government's consideration of exempting certain "mega-zones" from the 52-hour workweek limit. He argued that instead of extending working hours, companies should hire more people to meet labor demands. Regarding an allegation that his campaign staff interfered with media coverage during a recent joint speech event, Jung responded dismissively, "I think it's a consequence of their own actions."

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If the 52-hour workweek is insufficient, it would be better to hire more people rather than extend working hours, from the perspective of increasing jobs.