President Lee Jae Myung [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell below 35 percent for the first time since he took office, marking a ninth consecutive week of decline, according to a poll released Monday.

The survey, conducted by Realmeter on behalf of the Energy Economy Newspaper from Tuesday through Saturday among 2,515 adults aged 18 and older nationwide, put Lee's positive job-performance rating at 33.8 percent — down 3.6 percentage points from the previous week. His negative rating rose 3.8 percentage points to 63.3 percent, outpacing his positive rating outside the margin of error for a seventh straight week, with a gap of 29.5 percentage points.

Realmeter attributed the slide to a spread of negative public sentiment over key policy issues — including controversy over cabinet reshuffle appointments, a review of troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, and uncertainty over real estate policy — despite Lee's recent summit diplomacy. The polling firm also cited significant defections among progressive voters and those in their 20s.

A separate party approval survey conducted Thursday and Friday among 1,003 adults nationwide showed the People Power Party at 42.1 percent and the Democratic Party of Korea at 36.1 percent — the first reversal in party standings since a poll conducted June 25-26, more than two months ago.

The Democratic Party fell 5.7 percentage points from the previous survey, while the People Power Party gained 4.5 percentage points. The 6.0-percentage-point gap between the two parties fell within the margin of error.

Realmeter said the Democratic Party's decline was tied to the president's falling approval, with the party bearing the burden of policy controversies — including real estate uncertainty and the cabinet reshuffle dispute — that drove significant support losses among voters in their 20s and progressive voters.

The People Power Party's rise, the firm said, was driven by a rally among voters in their 20s and those in the Chungcheong region and the Busan-South Gyeongsang Province area, who coalesced around the party as it benefited from public discontent over the government's handling of key policy issues.

The Rebuilding Korea Party stood at 4.7 percent, followed by the Progressive Party and the Reform Party at 1.3 percent each. Other parties combined for 2.3 percent, while 12.2 percent of respondents identified as unaffiliated.

Both surveys were conducted via automated wireless response. The presidential job-performance poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.0 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level, with a response rate of 4.5 percent. The party approval poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level, with a response rate of 3.6 percent. Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.


bigroot@heraldcorp.com