SEOUL – The approval rating for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol fell to its lowest level since April amid simmering questions over whether the First Lady may have inappropriately received a luxury designer bag.

The approval rating for Mr Yoon fell to 29 per cent in a weekly tracking poll released on Feb 2 by Gallup Korea, down 2 percentage points from the prior week to reach a low not seen in about nine months.

Issues concerning the First Lady were one of several factors that respondents cited as reasons for disapproval of the government.

The President has yet to speak publicly about a video released that appeared to show his wife Kim Keon-hee receiving a Christian Dior bag valued at about US$2,200 (S$3,000) from a Korean-American pastor in September 2022.

The video was shot with a hidden camera and released on the YouTube channel of a liberal political group, Yonhap News reported. 

Mr Yoon is expected to have an interview with national broadcaster KBS in the coming days that will be shown next week, in which he is likely to speak on a variety of topics, including the controversy surrounding his wife, Maeil Business Newspaper reported. 

The incident has cast a shadow over the President as his conservative People Power Party (PPP) is trying to take control of Parliament in an April election, which is shaping up to be a tight race. 

The Gallup poll also showed that the approval rating for the PPP fell to 34 per cent from 36 per cent a week ago, with the rating for the main opposition Democratic Party unchanged at 35 per cent.

The Democratic Party is focusing on the First Lady and has used its majority in Parliament to push through a measure in December 2023 calling for a special investigation into allegations of stock manipulation.

Mr Yoon vetoed the measure, and his wife has denied any wrongdoing.

South Korean presidents serve a single five-year term, and the April election will determine whether Mr Yoon can push through his agenda or if he will continue to face gridlock in the body for the three years left in his term.

If the PPP seizes control of Parliament from the opposition, it is likely to push through economic policies that include taking on powerful labour unions, reducing regulations on businesses, and introducing tax cuts for companies and on real estate transactions. BLOOMBERG