Lee's approval rating drops to lowest level since taking office: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has plummeted to its lowest level since he assumed office in June of last year, according to a recent poll. A National Barometer Survey conducted among 1,002 individuals aged 18 and above from Monday to Wednesday revealed that 43 percent of respondents had a favorable view of Lee's management of state affairs, a significant decline of 7 percentage points from the previous survey conducted two weeks prior.

Disapproval of his performance reached a new high, reaching 48 percent. For the first time, disapproval surpassed Lee's approval rating in the biweekly survey.

Regarding the recent Cabinet reshuffle, 47 percent of respondents criticized the appointment of Representative Kim Seung-won as the Justice Minister, while only 24 percent expressed positive views. Similarly, when it comes to the nomination of Representative Yong Hye-in as the Gender Equality Minister, 63 percent of those surveyed deemed it a poor choice, whereas 17 percent backed the decision.

The two nominees have faced criticism since their nominations were announced late last month. Representative Kim has been accused of engaging in illegal lobbying for a COVID-19 treatment in 2021, while Representative Yong has been criticized for refusing to relinquish her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly.