Everything fell apart so fast. Honestly, if you’d told someone in 2022 that the prosecutor-turned-president would end up in a jail cell facing a death penalty request, they’d have called you crazy. But here we are in January 2026, and the yoon suk yeol approval rating isn't just a political metric anymore. It’s a historical artifact of a presidency that basically self-destructed in real-time.
He’s gone. Removed. Impeached.
The numbers are pretty staggering if you look at the trajectory. Most leaders have a honeymoon phase, then a slow slide. Yoon? He had a honeymoon that lasted about twenty minutes before the public started side-eyeing his every move. By the time he declared that bizarre, short-lived martial law in December 2024, his approval was already hovering in the low teens. After the troops marched toward the National Assembly, it effectively hit rock bottom.
The Martial Law Meltdown
You remember that night, right? It was absolute chaos. Yoon goes on TV, calls the opposition "anti-state forces," and tries to lock down the country. It lasted six hours. Just six.
Lawmakers literally climbed over fences to get into the building to vote against him. People were out in the streets in the freezing cold. That single night took whatever was left of the yoon suk yeol approval rating and threw it into a woodchipper. Gallup Korea reported it dropped to 13% almost instantly, and by the time the Constitutional Court officially kicked him out in April 2025, he was essentially polling at "statistical noise" levels among anyone who wasn't a hardcore loyalist.
Why did people turn so hard?
It wasn't just the martial law thing, though that was the final nail. It was a slow build-up of "what are they thinking?" moments.
- The 69-Hour Work Week: He tried to push for a massive increase in working hours. In a country already famous for overworking people to the point of exhaustion, that went over like a lead balloon.
- The First Lady Scandals: Between the Dior bag controversy and allegations of stock manipulation, Kim Keon Hee was a constant weight on his numbers.
- The Communication Gap: People felt like he just didn't listen. He moved the presidential office out of the Blue House to Yongsan, claiming it was to be "closer to the people," but then he stopped doing his daily "doorstepping" Q&A sessions because the questions got too tough.
The Current State of Affairs
As of today, January 15, 2026, the focus has shifted from his "rating" to his "sentencing." Prosecutors are literally asking for the death penalty for insurrection. It’s heavy stuff.
His successor, Lee Jae-myung, is currently sitting on a much higher approval rating—somewhere in the 60s—but that’s mostly because the bar was left so low. People are just relieved to have a government that isn't sending paratroopers to the parliament building at midnight.
What Most People Get Wrong
There's a common misconception that Yoon was just "unlucky" with the economy. Nah. While inflation sucked for everyone, it was the perceived arrogance that killed his popularity. You can survive bad gas prices. You can't survive looking like you're trying to be a dictator in a country that fought tooth and nail for its democracy.
What Happens Next?
If you're following this, keep your eyes on February 19. That’s when the court is supposed to drop the verdict on the insurrection trial. Whether he gets life in prison or the capital sentence, the yoon suk yeol approval rating will go down in the books as the ultimate cautionary tale for South Korean politicians.
Actionable Insights for Following the Fallout:
- Watch the Courtroom: The verdict on February 19 is the big one. It’ll determine if he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
- Monitor the New Guy: Check how Lee Jae-myung handles the "Special Prosecutor" probes. If he overreaches, his own high ratings will start to dip.
- Look at the PPP: The People Power Party is trying to reinvent itself. See if they actually distance themselves from Yoon or if they try to keep his base.
