Lee Approval Rating Edges Down to 37.4% in Weekly Poll

President Lee Jae Myung’s job approval rating slipped slightly last week, interrupting two consecutive weeks of gains, according to a Realmeter survey released Monday.

Positive assessments of Lee’s performance stood at 37.4%, down 0.5 percentage point from the previous week. Negative assessments also declined, falling 0.3 percentage point to 59.8%, while 2.8% of respondents said they were unsure.

Realmeter surveyed 2,515 adults nationwide from Monday through Friday. The modest movement in both positive and negative assessments suggests that the latest survey did not produce a sharp shift in the overall balance of public opinion. Lee’s approval rating had risen for two straight weeks before the latest result.

The polling firm said the previous gains had been helped by Lee’s efforts to clarify major political issues during a press conference on Sept. 18. In its assessment of the latest figures, Realmeter said the government’s announcement of livelihood and welfare policies funded by excess tax revenue worked in Lee’s favor. However, it said negative factors related to personnel, security and household concerns had a greater overall effect.

Among the issues cited by the pollster were disputes surrounding the planned Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and Prosecution Service, as well as controversy over the appointment of the new investigation agency’s chief. Realmeter also pointed to the recent land mine explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone, diplomatic friction with Ukraine and concern about rental housing prices in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The survey arrived as the administration faces pressure across several policy areas at once. The investigative-agency debate directly affects the government’s institutional reform agenda, while security concerns at the inter-Korean border and housing costs have broader implications for public confidence. Realmeter’s explanation indicated that favorable reaction to welfare and livelihood measures was not enough to outweigh those concerns during the survey period.

A separate Realmeter poll of 1,009 voters showed a different movement in party support. Backing for the ruling Democratic Party rose 3.8 percentage points to 42.5%. Support for the main opposition People Power Party fell 1 percentage point to 38.4%.

The party figures therefore moved more strongly than the president’s personal rating. While Lee recorded a small decline after his recent rebound, the ruling party expanded its lead over the main opposition in the separate survey. The results provide two distinct snapshots of voter sentiment: a largely stable but unfavorable assessment of presidential performance, alongside improved support for the party that controls the government.