ED President's falling approval rating
President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with a visitor at Cheong Wa Dae, Friday, where he explained the government's policies to support young adults. Yonhap
Lee administration must address livelihood and policy confusion in his second year in office
President Lee Jae Myung, whose approval ratings remained in the high 60 percent range for much of his first year in office, is now seeing the numbers slide. The decline has been faster than expected, suggesting that public discontent with his administration is growing, despite beginning on a high note following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
A Gallup Korea poll released Friday showed the approval rating over Lee's handling of state affairs has fallen to 42 percent, while 50 percent had a negative assessment. It was the lowest approval rating for the president in a Gallup poll to date.
But an earlier Realmeter survey commissioned by Energy Economic News and released on Aug. 24 found Lee's approval rating at 40.2 percent, while 56.9 percent negatively assessed his administrative affairs.
Another survey commissioned by The Straight News and conducted by Jowon C&I placed the president's approval rating down at 38.9 percent.
A decline in approval ratings in an administration’s second year is not unusual, as the optimism of the first year gives way to public demands for tangible results. The irony is that dissatisfaction with the president appears to be deeper because the goodwill he initially enjoyed — a mix of Lee’s political style and the moral authority gained through opposing Yoon's December 2024 martial law declaration — now seems to be waning.
Since taking office, Lee has vowed, among other things, to catapult Korea into the ranks of the world’s top three AI powers, pursue pragmatic national interests and promote balanced regional growth as part of his vision for a government that serves the people. His handling of U.S. tariffs, along with the sharp rise in Korean stocks following efforts to address the so-called “Korea discount,” seemed to reinforce the view that the president’s confidence and moral authority were well-founded.
However, what followed — a DPK leadership race that overshadowed livelihood policies, the lackluster performance of the once-hot market and a housing policy that was more about raising taxes than stable housing — left a bitter taste in constituents' mouths. As Myongji University professor Shin Yul recently told this newspaper, the Korean people are putting their "personal interests ahead of their political beliefs."
Moreover, the Lee administration's recent policy moves have prompted questions over its ability to effectively implement major reforms. The administration's prosecutorial reform, which will give investigative authority to the police, has come under scrutiny amid a series of scandals involving police investigations into the murder of a Gwangju schoolgirl and missing persons cases on Jeju Island.
Lee also rejected Supreme Court Justice Cho Hee-dae's nominee to replace a vacant seat on the court, saying Cho did not follow due process in making the recommendation. Additionally, the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday abruptly delayed the announcement of the basic pension, prompting further scrutiny. On the foreign affairs and security front, the sudden decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to scale back the joint Korea-U.S. military exercises raised questions over the state of the alliance and prompted uneasiness over Korea's military readiness.
To be fair, no administration can be effective all the time, and it is still early days for the Lee government. Public sentiment can also sway like a reed in the wind. But initial broad support for a new administration is no guarantee of blind forgiveness. This is especially true when the issues hitting closest to home concern livelihoods and affordability, and when the administration appears more intent on pursuing politically driven reforms than addressing tangible concerns.
New DPK leader Kim Min-seok has stressed that the party will work to support the success of the Lee administration. To do that, he has pledged to turn the DPK into a party focused on affordability, a broader support base and political competence. The ruling bloc is surely aware of the challenges that lie ahead. But, as always, recognizing what needs to be done is easier than delivering results. Bridging that gap may be one of the toughest challenges ahead for the Lee administration. The president's reshuffle of six Cabinet members on Sunday may be one of his real chance toward tackling livelihood issues and policy confusion. He and the new Cabinet members should prove that their policy goals will not become vulnerable to partisan interests and the administration's political orientation.