Seoul acknowledges drop in president's approval, vows to heed public concerns

South Korea's presidential office, the Blue House, has acknowledged a downturn in President Lee Jae-myung's approval ratings since the June 3 local elections. The office stated it is taking the situation "seriously and humbly" and pledged to "more carefully examine" the public's concerns and desires.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Blue House attributed the recent fluctuations in support to a comprehensive assessment of public sentiment regarding the 민생경제 (minsaeng gyeongje - people's livelihood economy) and the overall national administration. This marks a notably cautious stance from the presidency.

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We will more carefully examine what the people are worried about and what they are hoping for.

President Lee's approval ratings, which had consistently remained above 60% since his inauguration, have shown a downward trend in opinion polls conducted after the local elections. Some surveys have indicated that positive and negative evaluations are within the margin of error, with the ruling Democratic Party also experiencing a concurrent decline in support.

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I apologize to the people. I humbly accept the people's sober evaluation.

During his European tour, President Lee himself addressed the poll results on X (formerly Twitter) on June 10, stating, "I apologize to the people. I humbly accept the people's sober evaluation." Later, on June 19, while briefing on his European and G7 summit tour, he acknowledged the "plunge" in his approval ratings post-election, remarking, "We must take it seriously. It's the people's evaluation." He added, "It means more people don't like the president, doesn't it?"

Within the Blue House, there is a prevailing assessment that internal conflicts within the Democratic Party, particularly ahead of the party's upcoming national convention, are contributing to the alienation of the support base. Despite this, the administration plans to maintain its current policy direction and focus on demonstrating its effectiveness as a "working government."

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It means more people don't like the president, doesn't it?