The conservative People Power Party took the top spot in South Korean political support polls this week. This big change marks the first time the opposition party has led under President Lee Jae Myung. A major ballot crisis during the June 3 local elections caused strong public anger across the country.
According to the latest Realmeter poll data, the main opposition party rose to 44.3 percent in popularity. The conservative group gained 3.2 percentage points to reach its highest level since January 2025. Meanwhile, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea dropped down to 38 percent during this same time. This drop means the ruling party fell below the important 40 percent mark very recently.
The political problems from the bad election management hurt the ruling party in its usual strong areas. Specifically, voters in Gyeonggi Province and the Jeolla areas took away support due to internal fights. At the same time, President Lee saw his own popularity drop for four straight weeks to 51.5 percent.
Political experts say the ballot crisis brought conservative voters together while winning over middle-of-the-road voters. Opposition leader Representative Jang Dong-hyeok used this chance to demand a brand new election. Also, large peaceful weekend protests at Olympic Park in Seoul put more pressure on the government.
Power inside the opposition party also changed as major leaders built up their local political strength. Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon both won big during the local elections. These wins helped the conservative group stay united even though some members asked leaders to resign.
Looking ahead, the opposition party plans to keep fighting hard over the election management problem. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party must fix its internal arguments before choosing a new leader in August. In the end, this severe ballot crisis will shape new laws as both sides get ready for future fights.
