Lee’s approval drops to lowest level since taking office
President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has reached its lowest point since he assumed office, according to a recent Gallup Korea survey. The poll, conducted among 1,000 Koreans aged 18 and over, found that 44% of respondents approved of Lee's performance, while 46% disapproved. This marks a significant 7 percentage point drop in his approval rating from the previous poll, which showed 51% approval. Lee's disapproval rating rose 8 points, overtaking the approval rating for the first time since his tenure began.
The poll also revealed that those who did not identify with a political party were more likely to disapprove of Lee's performance, with 55% disapproving compared to just 24% who approved. Among self-described moderates, the approval and disapproval ratings were nearly evenly divided, with 43% approving and 45% disapproving.
Real estate policy emerged as the primary reason for disapproval, cited by 30% of respondents, followed by concerns over the economy and people's livelihoods (13%) and a general assessment that he was "doing a poor job" (7%). Conversely, those who approved of Lee's performance cited foreign policy as the main reason, with 19% approval, followed by the economy and people's livelihoods (15%) and a general assessment that he was "doing a good job" (8%).
The survey also highlighted the political landscape, with the Democratic Party holding 41% support, while the People Power Party trailed with 25% support. The Reform Party recorded 3% support, the Rebuilding Korea Party had 2% support, and the Progressive Party and other parties or organizations each had 1% support. A significant 28% of respondents stated they did not support any political party.
The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and it was conducted through telephone interviews between August 11 and 13. For more details, visit the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission's website, or contact the pollsters at [english@hani.co.kr].
Written by urgent.news from The Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
