Park Geun-hye records worst ever polling figures for the country’s presidency after friend Choi Soon-sil was charged with corrupt influence over government

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s approval rating fell to 4% amid a deepening political crisis, marking an all-time low for any democratically elected leader in the country, according to Gallup Korea polling.



Fears of policy paralysis prompted by the political crisis also dealt a blow to consumer confidence, which fell to its lowest in more than seven years in November, South Korea’s central bank said.

Park’s presidency has been rocked by allegations that a close friend used her ties to the leader to meddle in state affairs and wield improper influence. Prosecutors investigating the case have indicted her friend, Choi Soon-sil, and are seeking to question the president about her role in the scandal.

Park’s approval rating slipped one percentage point after hovering at 5% for three consecutive weeks, while her disapproval rating rose three points to 93%, the Gallup Korea poll showed.

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Choi was indicted along with a former presidential aide on Sunday on charges of colluding with Park to pressure companies to contribute funds to two foundations controlled by Choi.



South Korean investigators have since widened their anti-graft probe into Park’s aides and businesses, raiding the offices of Samsung Group, South Korea’s largest family-run conglomerate, and Lotte Group.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Seoul on Saturday in the fourth straight weekend of protests against Park and the biggest public demonstrations in South Korea since the 1980s.

More than a million people are expected to gather again on Saturday, including about a thousand farmers, raising concerns of a clash with police trying to prevent the crowd from marching on the presidential Blue House.

Park, whose five-year term ends in February 2018, has resisted calls to resign but has apologised twice.

South Korea’s opposition parties are working towards launching impeachment proceedings against her but they need votes from Park’s ruling party if the motion is to succeed.

Gallup Korea, based in Seoul, is not affiliated with US-based Gallup Inc.