Lee disapproval numbers surge ahead as approval ratings plummet
President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating fell for a fifth straight week, with negative views surpassing positive ratings for the first time since he took office.
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press briefing at the Blue House in central Seoul on June 19.YONHAP
Approval rating of President Lee Jae Myung has slipped for a fifth consecutive week. It also marked the first time that negative assessments outpaced favorable views since his inauguration in June of last year.
Lee’s approval rating stood at 46.7 percent in the third week of this month, down 4.8 percentage points from the previous week, according to pollster Realmeter on Monday. Negative assessments rose 5.5 percentage points to 49.7 percent.
The poll surveyed 2,517 eligible voters aged 18 and older nationwide from last Monday through Friday.
Negative assessments surpassed positive ones for the first time since Lee took office. The gap between positive and negative ratings was 3 percentage points, just outside the survey's margin of error of 2 percentage points. Some 3.6 percent of respondents said they were “unsure.”
“Public criticism over the mishandling of the June 3 local elections and a leadership struggle within the ruling party compounded negative sentiment,” Realmeter said.
“Although there were positive factors such as the presidential visit to Europe and the Kospi’s climb past the 9,000-point threshold, concerns over widening disparities in the asset market became more pronounced and swayed away moderate voters and those living in the greater Seoul area.”
Lawmakers and officials from the ruling Democratic Party participate in a session to review the results of the June 3 local elections at the National Assembly in western Seoul on June 22YONHAP
By region, support fell most sharply in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, down 9.9 percentage points, followed by Incheon and Gyeonggi, down 7.6 percentage points, and Seoul, down 7.4 percentage points.
By age group, approval ratings fell most sharply among voters in their 50s, 20s and 40s, down 9.1, 6.2 and 5.5 percentage points, respectively.
Daily tracking suggested a sustained decline in support for Lee. His approval rating stood at 48.1 percent on June 12, then fell to 46.4 percent on Wednesday before slightly edging up to 46.8 percent on Thursday. By Friday, it had dropped again to 45.6 percent.
In a separate party preference survey of 1,001 respondents, the opposition People Power Party (PPP) led with 42.3 percent support, compared with 40.1 percent for the ruling Democratic Party (DP).
The two parties were separated by 2.2 percentage points, within the poll's margin of error.
Support for the PPP fell 2 percentage points from the second week of June, while support for the DP rose 2.1 points in the same period.
Among minor parties, the Reform Party garnered 3.4 percent support, followed by the Rebuilding Korea Party at 2.9 percent and the Jinbo Party at 1.7 percent.
Lawmakers and officials from the opposition People Power Party pose for a photograph at the National Assembly in western Seoul on June 22.IM HYUN-DONG
Unaffiliated voters accounted for 7.7 percent of respondents.
Support for the PPP declined notably in Daejeon, Sejong and the Chungcheong region, down 9.5 percentage points, as well as in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang, down 7.1 percentage points. Among age groups, voters in their 20s showed the largest decline, at 10.5 points.
The DP posted gains in Incheon and Gyeonggi, up 5.2 percentage points, and in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang, up 2.6 percentage points. Its support also saw an uptick among voters in their 60s, up 7.3 percentage points, and those aged 70 and older, up 5.9 percentage points.
“The PPP came under increasing pressure over its response to the National Election Commission’s mismanagement during the June 3 local elections, while infighting over the leadership’s resignation further undermined unity among conservative supporters,” Realmeter said.
“With efforts underway to address election administration problems, the DP’s message of unity behind the government helped consolidate support among its base.”
The presidential approval poll had a response rate of 4.2 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level, while the party preference survey had a response rate of 3.3 percent with a margin of error of plus or minus at 3.1 percentage points and a 95 percent confidence level. Both polls used wireless automated response systems.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
