More Koreans disapprove of Lee than approve of him for first time since taking office

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has dipped below the 50% mark for the first time since he assumed office, with negative assessments of his performance now surpassing positive ones. This marks a significant shift in public sentiment, as indicated by a recent nationwide survey.

Experts suggest several factors are contributing to this decline. These include issues surrounding ballot shortages during the recent local elections and ongoing infighting within the ruling Democratic Party. The Blue House has responded to the poll results, stating that it "takes seriously and humbly accepts" the numbers and pledges to "pay close attention to the concerns and wishes of the people."

The survey, conducted by Realmeter, revealed that positive ratings for Lee fell by 4.8 percentage points to 46.7%, while negative views rose by 5.5 percentage points to 49.7%. Although these figures fall within the margin of error, this "death cross", where positive ratings fall below negative ones, is the first since Lee's inauguration. The president's approval rating has seen a notable decline of over 10 percentage points in just three weeks, from 59.1% in late May.

The drop in support is particularly pronounced in regions like Daegu and North Gyeongsang, where Lee's approval fell by 9.9 percentage points to 34.6%. Similar declines were observed in Incheon and Gyeonggi, and Seoul. Support among self-described moderates also decreased, while remaining strong among progressives. Other recent polls, including one by Gallup Korea, have also indicated a waning support for President Lee since the local elections.