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Politics

Suga and Moon slump in polls as COVID surge spurs criticism

Across Asia, pandemic performance impacts governments' popularity

TOKYO -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are losing public support due to criticism of their handling of the pandemic among other factors. (Source photos by Uichiro Kasai, Akira Kodaka and Reuters) 

TOKYO -- Surging COVID-19 cases have ended the honeymoon of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and are eating away at the political capital of South Korean President Moon Jae-in as he enters his final 18 months in office.

While multiple issues are hurting the two leaders, their perceived handling of the pandemic appears to be the biggest factor in their slumping approval rates. Elsewhere in Asia, Indonesian President Joko Widodo is another leader under scrutiny, whereas Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen continues to ride high in the polls as her government keeps the virus at bay.

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