Lee Jae-myung's Approval Rating Falls Below 50%, Disapproval Exceeds Approval for the First Time

According to a poll conducted by Realmeter on behalf of the newspaper EKN, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s approval rating fell to 46.7%, a 4.8 percentage point drop from the previous week. This marks the first time his approval has fallen below 50% since his inauguration last June. Meanwhile, his disapproval rating rose by 5.5 percentage points to 49.7%.

Realmeter analysts attribute the decline to controversies surrounding ballot paper shortages during the June 3 local elections and intensified internal conflicts within the ruling Democratic Party. Although positive sentiment persists regarding his European diplomatic visit and the KOSPI stock index hitting a record high of 9,000 points, concerns over wealth inequality in asset markets have led to a decline in support among independent voters and those in the capital region.

The weekly survey, conducted between the 15th and 19th, polled 2,517 adults aged 18 and over, with a margin of error of ±2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. In a separate poll of 1,001 adults on the 18th and 19th, the Democratic Party’s support rose to 40.1%, while the main opposition People Power Party's support fell to 42.3%.