Survey shows economic issues are most important to public


Public fatigue is growing as rival parties exchange barbs over politically charged issues at the expense of crucial economic and other policy matters.

In recent weeks, the parties have been struggling to turn the political pendulum in their favor ahead of the upcoming general election, attacking each other over the government’s alleged illicit surveillance of civilians and other sensitive political issues.

Over the past week, the heated debate over vulgar, sexist and ageist remarks Kim Yong-min, an opposition candidate, made in the past also dominated political circles, eclipsing other practical topics.

Such incessant partisan fighting has made voters wonder whether the parties were ever sincere when they repeated their mantra of economic stabilization and the increased welfare of citizens.

“They are now mired in wasteful fights over political issues while putting economic issues on the back burner. They appear to be just attacking each other, when they are supposed to focus their campaigns on crucial policy pledges,” said Kim Seo-young, a 30-year-old housewife in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province.

“Key issues have been overshadowed while the parties are trying to smear each other just for political purposes. All this makes voters feel flustered and that makes them look ugly.”

Her view was echoed by many others.

“As a voter myself, what I am curious about is their election pledges and their political philosophy. I am just fed up with the mudslinging strategy that has been entrenched in the political arena,” said Ha Yoon-jeong, a 26-year-old office worker in Seoul.

Some, however, said that to a certain extent, voters are responsible for the politicians sticking to the outmoded election tactics.

“In some sense, voters should do some soul-searching. Part of the reason why politicians employ such a smear campaign is that it actually works,” said Lee Joo-hyeong, a 29-year-old office worker in Seoul.

“What has been deeply lodged in voters’ psyche is that they should judge whether candidates are liberal or conservative rather than looking at their policy pledges. There should be a shift in the way voters judge candidates. If they look primarily at their policies, politicians will change their strategies in a wholesome, right direction.”

Above all, what appeals to the voters most is economic issues as they say there are still many struggling at the lower rung of the economic ladder despite the country’s relatively stable macroeconomic indicators.

A recent survey showed that seven out of 10 citizens said that candidates’ economic pledges will affect the outcome of Wednesday’s elections most.

For citizens who have yet to start feeling what the government calls the “trickle-down effect,” stabilization of consumer prices is the most crucial among economic pledges, the survey showed.

The survey of 1,700 people over the age of 19 was conducted by the Hyundai Research Institute from March 26-30.

In the survey, 69.8 percent of the questioned said that economic issues will affect the elections most while only 18.9 percent said that political and diplomatic issues will affect the elections most.

Nearly 40 percent of the respondents said that stabilization of consumer prices will affect the elections most while 20.6 percent said that the creation of jobs will be most important. Welfare policies came third, followed by economic growth.

By Song Sang-ho, Kim Young-won
(sshluck@heraldcorp.com) (won0102@heraldcorp.com)