ED Warning signs for Lee
Time to listen to public, overhaul state governance
President Lee Jae Myung watches rehabilitation treatments during a visit to the National Firefighters Hospital in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, Tuesday. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung’s government is facing an unmistakable warning from the public. A single opinion poll should never be treated as a verdict on a government, but the recent trend is difficult to dismiss. More importantly, the erosion of support is becoming visible among politically decisive groups, including moderates, younger voters and residents of the Seoul metropolitan area.
A poll conducted by Cho Won C&I from Saturday to Monday found that 42.9 percent of respondents gave a positive evaluation of Lee’s performance as president, while 54.1 percent disapproved. Compared with the previous survey, his approval rating fell 4.5 percentage points while disapproval rose 4.6 points. The shift was particularly striking among voters in their 20s and 30s, as well as moderates. Even among voters in their 40s — once a relatively strong constituency for Lee — disapproval exceeded approval.
The regional figures are equally sobering. In Seoul, approval stood at just 37.2 percent, compared with 59.5 percent disapproval. In Incheon and Gyeonggi, disapproval was also above 50 percent. Such figures should concern any administration, not because approval ratings are everything but because they can reveal whether a government is losing touch with voters beyond its political base.
The proper response is not to attack the polls or blame the opposition. It is to listen.
The Lee administration has moved aggressively on legislative and institutional reforms, while pursuing contentious changes in areas ranging from the judiciary to taxation and real estate. Whatever the merits of individual policies, they must recognize that governing by sheer political momentum can deepen public distrust. In a democracy, winning an election does not amount to receiving carte blanche for the remainder of a term. Major reforms require not only parliamentary power but also public persuasion, procedural legitimacy and social consensus.
Economic policy demands the same humility. Housing and financial markets cannot simply be ordered to behave according to government intentions. Frequent policy changes, uncertainty over taxation and concerns about housing supply can undermine confidence among households, businesses and investors. The government should focus less on demonstrating political resolve and more on creating predictable rules and credible long-term policies.
Recent controversies involving government officials have compounded these concerns. The case of Kim Sang-ho, a senior presidential communications official who was dismissed after controversy over an illegally converted rental unit at a property he owned, is particularly damaging in the context of the government’s housing agenda. Kim has said the conversion predated his ownership and that he neither carried it out nor ordered it. Nevertheless, the episode raises legitimate questions about public officials’ ethical responsibilities and about whether the government applies the standards for ordinary citizens to itself.
The same principle applies to youth housing. Young Koreans struggling with soaring housing costs need safe, affordable homes — not improvised solutions that seem to trivialize their predicament. They need policies that address rent, supply, employment and living conditions in a sustained and credible manner.
Lee still has time to change course. What his government needs now is not a more combative political strategy but a more humble one. The president must listen not only to his supporters but also to those who voted against him, those who have become disillusioned and those who remain politically unaffiliated.
A strong government is not one that never admits mistakes. It is one capable of recognizing them and correcting them.
Lee should treat the latest polling not as an enemy to be defeated, but as a warning to be understood. If he responds with humility, policy discipline and a genuine willingness to hear public concerns, this can become an opportunity for renewal.
The message from voters is increasingly clear: They do not need a government that insists it is always right. They need one willing to listen, learn and change.