By Shim Jae-yun
Staff Reporter

The approval rating for the major opposition Grand National Party (GNP), which plummeted following the presidential impeachment, has continued to regain ground, reaching 20.1 percent in a recent survey.

The poll, jointly conducted by The Korea Times and Media Research, also showed 23.2 percent of the respondents said they would opt for the GNP under the proportional representation system. This gives the 56 seats that are up for grabs in the competition for the non-district National Assembly seats.

This compares with previous opinion polls which showed the National Assembly-dominating party’s support rate hovering around 15 percent.

This rising support rate has apparently been thanks to the so-called ``Park Geun-hye effect’’ since the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee became the party’s new leader in an open contest, replacing Choe Byung-yul.

Prompted by Park’s taking office, many eligible voters in Taegu and South Kyongsang Province, where Park is from, began to support GNP candidates.

In terms of the approval rating under the proportional representation system, GNP garnered 49.5 percent in the poll in the Taegu and South Kyongsang Province and another 32.7 percent in Pusan and South Kyongsang Province.

jayshim@koreatimes.co.kr