President Lee's approval rating falls back to 39%: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has plummeted to under 40% according to a recent poll released on Friday. Conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday to Thursday, the survey polled 1,000 individuals aged 18 and above. Positive assessments of Lee's performance dropped by one percentage point from the previous week, settling at 39%. Conversely, negative assessments increased by the same margin to 49%.

Lee's approval rating had been hovering below the 40% mark in Gallup polls since early September, but it had briefly risen to 40% in the prior survey. Among those who gave Lee a positive assessment, 17% attributed it to diplomacy, while 14% cited economic and livelihood issues, and 8% praised his communication skills.

On the flip side, those who disapproved of Lee's performance cited real estate policies (19%), economic concerns (17%), and security issues related to North Korea (10%) as the primary reasons. A further 10% expressed dissatisfaction with Lee's handling of security and North Korea policies.

Furthermore, support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) slipped by two percentage points to 35%, marking its lowest level in several polls.