Lee's approval rating climbs back to 40% for first time since early September

President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating rose to 40 percent for the first time since early September, a poll showed on Friday.

The survey, conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,001 people aged 18 and older, showed that positive assessments of Lee’s performance increased 1 percentage point from the previous week.

Those who disapproved of Lee’s handling of state affairs fell by 2 percentage points on week to 50 percent.

Lee’s approval rating last stood at 40 percent in the first week of September before falling to a record low of 37 percent in two consecutive polls conducted in late September and early October.

Among those who positively assessed his performance, 21 percent cited diplomacy, followed by economic and livelihood issues at 14 percent and communication at 7 percent.

Real estate policies and economic and security concerns were among the main reasons cited by those who disapproved of his performance.

Support for the ruling Democratic Party rose 1 percentage point to 37 percent, marking its second consecutive weekly gain after hitting a record low of 35 percent in early October. The approval rating for the main opposition People Power Party rose 1 percentage point to 28 percent.

When asked whether Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de should be impeached, 34 percent of the respondents supported his impeachment, while 39 percent opposed it. In recent weeks, some lawmakers have called for Jo’s impeachment over his refusal to recommend a new candidate to the top court despite a request from the presidential office, as well as allegations of improper use of official funds.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Yonhap