NBS poll puts Lee's approval at 24% among voters in their 20s, 36% in Seoul

Democratic Party also trails in Seoul at 28%, among those in their 30s at 28%

Some within party admit: 'We failed to win them over at the election'

President Lee Jae Myung enters a government briefing session held at the Government Sejong Convention Center in Sejong last December. At left is then-Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung enters a government briefing session held at the Government Sejong Convention Center in Sejong last December. At left is then-Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. [Yonhap]

Approval ratings for President Lee Jae Myung and the Democratic Party of Korea have repeatedly come in below their national averages among Seoul residents and voters in their 20s and 30s, according to recent polls.

The National Barometer Survey (NBS) released Thursday showed Lee's job approval at 24 percent among voters in their 20s, 39 percent among those in their 30s, and 36 percent in Seoul. Support for the Democratic Party was similarly weak in those groups, at 18 percent among voters in their 20s, 28 percent among those in their 30s, and 28 percent in Seoul.

The Seoul figures marked a notable deterioration from the previous survey. Lee's approval rating in the capital fell 5 percentage points to 36 percent, while his disapproval rose 8 points to 58 percent. The Democratic Party also posted sharp declines in Seoul and among voters in their 30s — its Seoul support dropped 7 points from 35 percent to 28 percent, and its rating among those in their 30s fell 5 points from 33 percent to 28 percent.

By contrast, Lee's core base of voters in their 40s and 50s remained solid. Fifty-five percent of respondents in their 40s and 56 percent of those in their 50s gave Lee a positive assessment of his job performance. The Democratic Party also polled higher in those age groups, at 44 percent and 45 percent respectively, compared with other demographics.

The NBS survey was conducted by Macromill Embrain, KStat Research, Korea Research and Hankook Research from Monday through Wednesday among 1,000 adults aged 18 and older nationwide, using telephone interviews via virtual mobile numbers provided by the country's three major carriers. The response rate was 18.8 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

Other polls showed the same pattern. A survey by Hangil Research released Tuesday for Polinews and KNA25 put Lee's approval rating in Seoul at 28.2 percent, with a disapproval rating of 70.4 percent.

Among age groups, voters in their 30s recorded the lowest approval of any cohort at 28.2 percent, with a disapproval rate of 70.6 percent. Among voters in their 20s, approval stood at 34.6 percent and disapproval at 64.4 percent. Democratic Party support was also comparatively low among younger voters — 31.3 percent among those in their 20s and 32.1 percent among those in their 30s, trailing other age groups by as much as 10 percentage points.

The persistently low numbers among younger voters have prompted self-critical remarks within the Democratic Party. A first-term lawmaker said the party had failed to win over young women at the election. A two-term lawmaker said the party would be relieved if the approval rating simply stopped falling, adding that at least there was still time before the next election.

The Hangil Research survey was conducted using an automated response system — 4.8 percent via landline random-digit dialing and 95.2 percent via mobile — with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level and a response rate of 2.6 percent. Age, gender and regional weightings were based on the Ministry of Interior and Safety's resident registration data as of the end of May 2026. Further details on the survey are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.


thanks@heraldcorp.com