Key facts
- President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating increased to 54% in the latest Gallup Korea poll.
- This represents a 3 percentage point rise from the previous week.
- The economy and people's livelihoods were the most frequently cited reasons for approval.
- Disapproval of Lee's performance fell to 36%.
President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has seen a rebound, increasing to 54 percent last week after previously dipping to its lowest point since his inauguration, according to a Gallup Korea poll released Friday. The survey, conducted between Tuesday and Thursday among 1,005 adults, indicated a 3 percentage point rise in approval from the prior week.
Respondents most frequently cited Lee's handling of the economy and people's livelihoods as reasons for their positive evaluation, accounting for 24 percent of responses. Diplomacy was another key factor, mentioned by 14 percent, followed by overall performance at 8 percent. Gallup noted that economic issues played a larger role in positive evaluations compared to the previous week, with "balanced regional development" emerging as a new factor in both positive and negative assessments.
The pollster suggested that recent government announcements regarding the "three mega projects" initiative, which involves significant investments by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers, may have contributed to the shift in public opinion.
Overall disapproval of Lee's performance decreased by 5 percentage points to 36 percent. The ruling Democratic Party maintained its approval rating at 41 percent for the third consecutive week, while the main opposition People Power Party saw its approval drop by 1 percentage point to 26 percent. The poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.