Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has declined to 65 percent following three weeks of maintaining its highest level, a recent poll revealed.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday to Thursday, which included 1,000 respondents aged 18 and over, indicated a 2 percentage point drop in the positive assessment of President Lee's overall performance compared to the previous week. The poll also showed that the negative assessment remained at 24 percent, while 10 percent of respondents were undecided.
The survey highlighted that Lee's management of the economy and people's livelihoods was the most cited reason for his positive evaluation, with 17 percent of respondents acknowledging this aspect. Overall performance was mentioned by 10 percent, while diplomacy and real estate policies each received 8 percent. On the other hand, concerns over the economy and the high exchange rate were the primary reasons for negative responses, with 17 percent of participants expressing these concerns.
The poll also indicated that the approval rating for the ruling Democratic Party stayed consistent at 46 percent. Meanwhile, the main opposition People Power Party experienced a 1 percentage point decline, bringing its approval rating to 19 percent, marking the first dip below 20 percent in eight months.
In the same survey, 54 percent of respondents stated that the government was effectively handling the Middle East crisis, whereas 19 percent disagreed. The survey's margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.