By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter

Supporters of Lee Myung-bak in the presidential race last December have now turned their back on the President primarily over controversial negotiations with the United States on beef imports, according to the latest survey.

A Munhwa Ilbo newspaper poll said support for Lee had fallen to 29.2 percent, a decrease of 23.3 percentage points from a month earlier.

The poll showed Lee's rating has sharply dropped particularly among women, people in their 30s and 40s, and the residents of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, the stronghold of Lee's Grand National Party (GNP).

According to the survey of 1,000 adults, 57 percent said the government did not do well in the beef deal with the United States, and 12 percent said they were disappointed with Lee's picks for Cabinet ministers and presidential secretaries, whose wealth accumulation and ethics are questionable.

Seven out of 10 people said that Lee was poor in communicating with the public, suggesting that Lee's team should find ways to facilitate communication to prevent recurring problems in the future.

Respondents also said they were very disappointed by the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) as its lawmakers had boycotted the ratification of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States by linking it to the beef deal at the National Assembly.

About 66.2 percent answered the UDP did not do a good job in handling these issues.

The poll showed that people share the view that FTA ratification is unavoidable.

About 71.5 percent said outgoing lawmakers did not perform well.

Thirty-two percent said they were disappointed with lawmakers' involvement in physical clashes at the National Assembly, and 31.3 percent said boycotting the FTA was inappropriate.

More than 40 percent expect the new National Assembly to pass a resolution urging the government to renegotiate the beef deal with Washington.

hkang@koreatimes.co.kr