Photo courtesy of Anadolu
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since he assumed office, extending a six-week decline, according to a Realmeter survey released Monday.
The poll, conducted from August 18 to 21 among 2,026 adults, showed Lee’s approval rating dropping 2.8 percentage points to 40.2 percent.
His disapproval rating rose by the same margin to 56.9 percent, according to the Korea Herald.
Realmeter linked the decline to growing public concerns over housing policy, political disputes involving judicial and constitutional issues, and security worries after South Korea scaled back joint military exercises with the United States.
The pollster also noted weaker support for Lee among conservative voters and respondents aged 70 and above.
A separate Realmeter survey conducted from August 20 to 21 showed support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea falling six percentage points to 41.9 percent.
Support for the opposition People Power Party rose 4.5 percentage points to 37.6 percent, narrowing the gap between the two major parties.
The presidential approval survey had a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.