South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol¡¯s plan to reduce the school entry age a year to 5 has sparked protests from teachers and parents, adding to the woes of his government as it struggles to find support after nearly three months in power.
About three dozen civic groups staged a protest Monday outside the presidential office against what critics contend is a hastily conceived move that could be detrimental to the development of young children and would step up competition in an already overheated education sector.
Yoon¡¯s government, which last week unveiled plans to implement the change starting as early 2025, contends the move could help ease the burden on parents for childcare as the country tries to increase one of the developed world¡¯s lowest birth rates.
In a survey taken on Friday and Saturday by the Korea Society Opinion Institute as news of the school plan came out, Yoon¡¯s approval ratting slid to 28.9%, down by more then 3 percentage points from a week before. More than two-thirds of respondents said they disapproved of his government, the survey showed, a jump of more than 32 percentage points from late May.
South Korean politicians typically tread lightly when it comes to education, one of the most sensitive topics in the country. But the incident is the latest in a series of dust-ups from Yoon, a prosecutor-turned politician, that include plans released in late July to shake up the nation¡¯s police ¡ª which prompted protests from senior officers.
Education-sector shares rose on expectations that the change in the school system could cause parents to lay out more money on services to give their children an edge in the classroom and for crucial entrance exams. NE Neungyule jumped 8.6% while MegaMD rose 8.8% in Seoul trading Monday. I-Scream Edu gained 5.9% while YBM Net climbed 3.7%.
Yoon¡¯s poll numbers at this time of his administration rank among the lowest for any of the country¡¯s presidents at similar points since the advent to full democracy in 1987. Although there is ample time to reverse course in his single, five-year term that started in May, the early stumbles have raised questions about the direction of the political novice, who won the presidency by the nation¡¯s closest margin.
Adding to Yoon¡¯s worries are an inflation rate running at its highest in more than two decades. Rising consumer prices have added pressure to wages, spurring disputes between workers and employers in some of the country¡¯s key industries such as automobiles and shipbuilding.
Yoon also faces gridlock in parliament that could thwart his policy priorities. The opposition camp holds a majority large enough to shoot down any of his proposals and override any measure that Yoon may veto.
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