Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Lee’s disapproval rating tops approval for first time amid ruling party tensions
President Lee Jae Myung answers reporters' questions during a briefing on the outcomes of his attendance at the G7 summit and European trip in the Chunchugwan press center at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
Analysts cite DPK infighting, liberal split as key drivers of decline
President Lee Jae Myung’s disapproval rating has surpassed his approval rating for the first time since he took office, according to a Realmeter survey released Monday, with analysts pointing to growing tensions within the ruling camp as a key factor behind the decline.
Lee’s approval rating fell 4.8 percentage points from the previous week to 46.7 percent, while his disapproval rose 5.5 points to 49.7 percent, marking the first time negative assessments have exceeded positive ones since his inauguration in June 2025.
It was also the first time his approval rating fell below 50 percent in a Realmeter survey.
Realmeter attributed the decline to public backlash over election management failures and intensified infighting within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).
The pollster also said concerns over widening wealth disparities contributed to declining support among moderate voters and those living in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Kim Sang-il, a political commentator, said the drop reflected broader concerns about how the governing camp has conducted itself since the June 3 local elections.
“The biggest reason is that the ruling bloc has not acted like a governing force,” Kim said.
“If the president is not fundamentally on the wrong path, the ruling party should be helping the administration produce results. Instead, the government’s agenda is being sidelined by internal competition.”
Kim argued that the ruling party’s focus should remain on supporting the administration’s policy agenda rather than jockeying for position ahead of the party convention in August and future presidential races.
“The tree of governance must grow before it can bear the fruit of political succession,” Kim said. “Right now, too much attention is on internal rivalries.”
Another political analyst, Lee Jong-hoon, also pointed to divisions within the liberal camp as a major factor behind the decline.
“What we are seeing is a split within the liberal camp,” Lee said.
“As (DPK chair) Rep. Jung Chung-rae’s differentiation strategy gains momentum, the divide between pro-Lee Jae Myung and anti-Lee Jae Myung factions is becoming more visible. Some hard-line supporters are turning away from Lee because they oppose his pragmatic approach.”
The analyst said the emerging rift could further undermine support for the president if it deepens ahead of the DPK convention.
“The more intense the party leadership race becomes, the greater the burden on the president’s approval rating,” he said.
The survey results come as the DPK prepares for a leadership contest that is increasingly being viewed as a proxy battle over the party’s future direction.
Jung is widely expected to seek another term as party chair, while the president's supporters are considering their own candidates to put forward. The potential challengers include Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who has signaled his intention to resign to return to the party and enter the race, and Rep. Song Young-gil, a former DPK leader and now six-term lawmaker who secured a National Assembly seat in the recent by-elections.
Cheong Wa Dae acknowledged the survey results and said it would take them seriously.
“We believe the recent fluctuation reflects public perceptions of economic conditions and an overall assessment of the administration,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said Monday.
“We take the results seriously and humbly, and will pay closer attention to what the public is concerned about and what they expect from the government.”
The survey was conducted June 15-19 by Realmeter on behalf of Energy Economy News among 2,517 voters aged 18 and older nationwide. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.