People Power Party support stuck in 10% range for second week, calls grow for Jang Dong-hyeok to step down

[Financial News] Support for the People Power Party (PPP) has remained in the 10% range for two consecutive weeks. As a result, voices within the party are calling for the resignation of party leader Jang Dong-hyeok and the rest of the leadership.
According to a poll released on the 3rd by the Gallup Korea Research Institute, support for the PPP stood at 18%, down 1 percentage point from 19% the previous week. This marks the second straight week that its support has stayed in the 10% range. Support for the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) rose 2 percentage points from the previous week to 48%.
PPP support had been stuck in the low 20% range from February through March, then slipped into the 10% range at the end of last month. The first poll this month showed it remaining in that band. Particularly notable is that support in Seoul, a key battleground for the June local elections, was only 13%. Support for the DPK in Seoul surpassed a majority at 51%.
In response, reform-minded members of the PPP are intensifying their calls for Jang Dong-hyeok and the leadership to step down. Bae Hyun-jin, a lawmaker who heads the Seoul Metropolitan Chapter of the People Power Party, wrote on a social networking service (SNS) that it has become difficult to recruit candidates for basic-level mayors and metropolitan and basic council seats in Seoul. She urged, "The Jang Dong-hyeok leadership, which is responsible for the 13% result, must take responsibility and recruit the players," adding, "There is now only one way left to break out of this situation: changing the PPP's election frontman. There are various ways to do this. I expect the Jang Dong-hyeok leadership to show party loyalty and make a decision."
The cited survey was conducted by telephone interviewer survey (CATI) with 1,001 respondents nationwide from March 31 to April 2, with a response rate of 12.3% and a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Further details are available on the website of the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission.

uknow@fnnews.com Kim Yun-ho Reporter