Key facts
- President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell to 33.8% in a poll conducted Sept. 8-12.
- Disapproval of Lee's performance rose to 63.3%.
- The decline is attributed to controversies over a Cabinet reshuffle, potential deployment of military assets to the Strait of Hormuz, and real estate policy uncertainty.
- Support for the ruling Democratic Party dropped to 36.1%.
- Support for the opposition People Power Party increased to 42.1%.
President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has reached a new low since he took office, continuing a nine-week decline, according to a poll released Monday. The survey, conducted by Realmeter for the EKN newspaper, found that 33.8% of 2,515 adults positively assessed Lee's handling of state affairs, a decrease of 3.6 percentage points from the previous week. His disapproval rating climbed 3.8 percentage points to 63.3%.
Realmeter attributed the drop to public discontent surrounding controversies related to Lee's recent Cabinet reshuffle, the potential deployment of military assets to the Strait of Hormuz, and uncertainty regarding real estate policies. The pollster also noted a significant decrease in support among liberal voters and those in their 20s, with a 10.2 percentage point fall among individuals aged 18 to 29.
Specific controversies include the nomination of Rep. Yong Hye-in for gender equality minister, who stepped down amid criticism over alleged nepotism and retaining her parliamentary seat. Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won is facing allegations of illegal lobbying related to a COVID-19 treatment approval in 2021.
In a separate poll of 1,003 individuals, support for the ruling Democratic Party decreased by 5.7 percentage points to 36.1%, while the main opposition People Power Party saw its support rise by 4.5 percentage points to 42.1%.