Has President Moon Become a Lame Duck President?

That is what some political observers in the Korea Times are speculating about:

Some political watchers say signs of a political slump for Moon have already emerged, citing the continuous fall in his approval rating and hints of defiance among his supporters over key policies ― two important characteristics of a lame duck presidency.

The support rate for Moon, which hovered over 70 percent in early May following the nation’s good response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) landslide victory in the April 15 general election, has been on a steep decline, falling to 39 percent in a Gallup Korea poll, Friday.

The drop has become clearer in recent weeks amid criticism of the government’s latest real estate policy, which produced the opposite result of its intention of preventing speculative purchases and stabilizing the housing market. Public sentiment became even more negative as some senior Cheong Wa Dae officials owning multiple homes were reluctant to sell their properties despite the presidential chief of staff’s recommendation to do so.

Kim Hyung-joon, a professor at Myongji University, pointed to several signs indicating a political slump for Moon.

“The core situation of the political slump in a president’s fourth year is the loss of support from their base,” Kim said. “In Moon’s case, women, people in the capital area and those in their 30s or 40s were his core base, but they have broken away from him because of his policy failures.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.