South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since he took office, according to a poll released on Monday. The latest figures marked the ninth consecutive week of decline in his approval rating, amid growing public criticism over a recent Cabinet reshuffle and concerns surrounding several government policy issues.
The survey, conducted by Realmeter among 2,515 adults from Monday to Friday and commissioned by the EKN newspaper, found that 33.8 per cent of respondents positively assessed Lee’s handling of state affairs. This represented a decline of 3.6 percentage points from the previous week. Meanwhile, his disapproval rating increased by 3.8 percentage points to 63.3 per cent.
Realmeter attributed the decline to negative public sentiment surrounding controversies over Lee’s recent Cabinet reshuffle, uncertainty over real estate policies and debate about the possible deployment of South Korean military assets to the Strait of Hormuz. The pollster also reported a significant decline in support among liberal voters and younger respondents. Approval among people aged 18 to 29 fell by 10.2 percentage points.
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The Cabinet reshuffle has faced particular scrutiny over nominations for justice minister and gender equality minister. Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor Basic Income Party, who had been tapped for the gender equality portfolio, stepped down on Sunday following criticism over alleged nepotism and her reported intention to retain her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly if appointed to the Cabinet.
Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won has also faced allegations related to lobbying authorities over the approval of a Covid treatment in 2021. The latest survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level, while a separate poll by the same pollster showed ruling Democratic Party support falling 5.7 percentage points to 36.1 per cent and opposition People Power Party support rising 4.5 points to 42.1 per cent.
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