Lee's approval rating hits new low of 40%: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating plummeted to a new low of 40%, as indicated by a recent poll released on Friday. Conducted by Gallup Korea, the survey polled 1,001 individuals aged 18 and above over the course of three days, Tuesday through Thursday. The figure represents a decline of 2 percentage points compared to the previous week. Simultaneously, Lee's disapproval rating surged by 1 percentage point, reaching 51%, which marked the highest level since his inauguration.

The primary reasons for the positive assessment of Lee's management of state affairs were the economy and people's livelihoods, cited by 14% of respondents. Diplomacy and overall performance followed, with 13% and 10% respectively. When considering the negative assessment of Lee's performance, 23% of respondents pointed to his real estate policies, while 11% attributed their dissatisfaction to concerns over the economy and people's livelihoods. Personnel appointments were cited as a reason for disapproval by 9% of participants.

Gallup noted that the recent increase in concerns over personnel appointments appears to be related to Lee's recent Cabinet reshuffle, where he appointed six new ministers. The pollster also highlighted that real estate policies have consistently remained a significant factor in shaping public opinion towards Lee's administration.