President Lee Jae-myung's Approval Rating Hits New Low of 49%

President Lee Jae-myung's job approval rating has fallen to 49%, marking its lowest point since he took office, a nationwide survey revealed on Thursday. The poll indicates a decline in public confidence just over a year into his term.

The survey, conducted by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Coreana Research, and Hankook Research from August 10-12 among 1,001 adults, found that 43% disapproved of his performance, a 6-point increase from the previous survey. Overall trust in his administration stood at 52% positive, down from previous levels.

Party support also saw shifts, with the ruling Democratic Party maintaining 40% support, while the opposition People Power Party gained 2 percentage points to reach 23%. This narrowed the gap between the two major parties to 17 percentage points. Other parties, including the Reform Party and the New Future Party, garnered 2% support each.

Regarding specific policies, 56% of respondents felt the government's real estate policies were being handled poorly, with only 34% expressing approval. The government's recent real estate tax reform package received mixed reactions, with 46% supporting it and 41% opposing it. The NBS poll was conducted via phone interviews, with an response rate of 20.4% and a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points.