Lee’s Approval Rating Falls for Second Week to 35.2%

President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating declined for a second consecutive week, falling to 35.2 percent as political disputes and concerns over housing costs weighed on public sentiment, a new Realmeter survey showed Monday.

Positive assessments of Lee’s performance dropped 2.2 percentage points from the previous week. Negative assessments rose 1.6 percentage points to 61.4 percent, widening the gap between favorable and unfavorable views of the president.

Realmeter surveyed 1,504 adults nationwide from Tuesday through Thursday. The polling agency attributed the decline to several issues that drew attention during the National Assembly’s annual audits of government agencies. Those included a dispute over judicial independence involving Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, partisan clashes over mine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone and rising rental and housing prices in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The result extends a recent downturn for Lee and puts his approval rating near the mid-30 percent range as the administration faces pressure on both political and household-economy issues. The two-week slide may add urgency to the government’s efforts to defend its policy agenda while responding to opposition criticism during the audit season.

A separate Realmeter survey also showed a reversal in support for the country’s two largest parties. Backing for the ruling Democratic Party fell 7 percentage points to 35.5 percent, while support for the main opposition People Power Party increased 2.9 percentage points to 41.3 percent. That survey covered 1,004 adults on Wednesday and Thursday.

The party figures put the People Power Party 5.8 percentage points ahead of the Democratic Party in the latest reading. Because the presidential approval and party-support results came from separate samples and survey periods, they measure related but distinct aspects of voter sentiment.

The findings arrive as parliamentary audits amplify disputes over the judiciary, security policy and living costs. Housing affordability remains especially sensitive in the capital region, where rent and home prices can shape perceptions of the government’s economic management even when broader national indicators move differently.

Poll results are snapshots rather than election forecasts, and short-term changes can reflect both the news cycle and sampling variation. Still, simultaneous declines in presidential approval and ruling-party support give the administration a warning sign as it seeks to maintain public backing for its legislative and policy priorities.