Lee's approval rating rebounds to 56%: poll
President Lee Jae Myung, second from left, speaks during an interagency meeting on transnational crimes, such as scams, drug trafficking and online gambling, at the presidential office in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of the presidential office
President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating inched up to 56 percent, a survey showed Friday.
In a Gallup Korea survey of 1,000 adults conducted Tuesday through Thursday, the positive evaluation of Lee's performance rose 2 percentage points from the previous week.
The negative assessment of Lee fell 2 percentage points to 33 percent.
Among the respondents who gave a positive evaluation, 19 percent cited the economy, followed by 14 percent who mentioned diplomacy.
Among those with a negative view, 15 percent pointed to diplomacy, followed by 11 percent who cited real estate policies and 9 percent who criticized what they viewed as pro-China policies, including visa-free entry for Chinese tourists.
Gallup attributed the rise in negative sentiment to Lee's real estate policies, including the Oct. 15 housing measures that tightened loan regulations and property rules, though it noted the measures were "not strong enough" to significantly change their perceptions of Lee and the ruling party.
The approval rating for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose to 43 percent, up 4 percentage points from the previous week.
Support for the main opposition People Power Party remained unchanged at 25 percent.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.