By Kang Hyun-kyung
A latest public opinion survey found Sunday that President Lee Myung-bak’s approval rate hit the lowest point since August 2009, marking 36.9 percent of support.
In the Hankook Ilbo newspaper poll of 1,000 people, 54.2 percent of people responded that Lee has not done a good job. The poll results showed that more people disapproved of his job performance.
Previously, Lee’s approval rate on the average marked around 40 percent or higher in polls.
The survey also found that 45.6 percent of respondents would not vote for the incumbent lawmaker of their district.
Six out of 10 respondents backed the cancellation of the plan to build a new airport in the southeastern region. Those who blamed the government for cancelling the development project stood at 31.8 percent.
Regarding the presidential election to be held next year, Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) was unrivaled in terms of popularity, garnering the highest support with 34 percent.
Support for Rhyu Si-min, former health and welfare minister under the Roh Moo-hyun government, marked 10.3 percent.
Sohn Hak-kyu, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), came in third with 5.9 percent. The former Gyeonggi governor is running in the April 27 by-election in the Bundang district on the DP ticket.
Polls said he and his rival Kang Jae-sup, who is running in the by-election on the GNP ticket, were neck and neck in the race.
The Hankook Ilbo survey had been conducted over the weekend and has 3.1 percentage points of a margin of error.