Lee's approval rating rebounds slightly to 54% in Gallup poll

President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating has seen a modest rebound, reaching 54% in a recent poll conducted by Korea Gallup. This marks a 3-percentage-point increase from the previous week, when his support dipped to a post-inauguration low of 51%. The ruling Democratic Party's support remains steady at 41%, while the opposition People Power Party experienced a slight decline, falling to 26%.

The poll, which surveyed 1,005 adults nationwide from June 30 to July 2, indicates that economic and livelihood issues were the primary reasons cited for positive evaluations of the president's performance, accounting for 24% of responses. Foreign policy (14%) and communication (6%) followed. Conversely, economic and livelihood concerns also led negative assessments, cited by 16% of respondents, with real estate policy mentioned by 9%.

A significant majority of South Koreans, 55%, anticipate a rise in housing prices over the next year. This sentiment marks a shift from early March, when 46% predicted a decrease. The government's real estate policies, however, continue to draw criticism, with 46% of respondents stating they are being handled poorly, compared to only 26% who approve. This represents a sharp decline in public confidence in real estate policy, which had reached a high of 51% in early March.