South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approval slips to 35.2% amid controversies

President Lee Jae Myung's public backing fell to 35.2% for the second consecutive week, based on a Realmeter poll of 1,504 adults conducted from Tuesday to Thursday. Positive assessments of his performance dropped by 2.2 percentage points, while negative assessments climbed to 61.4%. The pollster linked the downturn to several issues: a dispute over judicial independence involving Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, political clashes over a mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone, and escalating rental and housing prices in the Seoul metropolitan area, all highlighted during parliamentary audits.

In a related survey of 1,004 adults, support for the ruling Democratic Party fell to 35.5%, whereas the main opposition People Power Party increased to 41.3%. The presidential poll carries a 2.5-point margin of error at 95% confidence, and the party poll a 3.1-point margin. Both polls were ordered by Asia Business Daily.