Lee's approval rating hits highest level since inauguration: poll

President Lee Jae Myung smiles during a meeting with his senior secretaries at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating climbed to 66 percent, marking its highest level since he took office last June, a survey showed Friday.

The survey by Gallup Korea, conducted Tuesday through Thursday on 1,002 respondents aged 18 and over, showed that the positive assessment of Lee's overall performance gained 1 percentage point from the previous week.

The negative assessment fell 1 percentage point to 24 percent.

Lee's economic policies were cited most frequently as the reason for the positive evaluation at 20 percent, followed by diplomacy at 10 percent.

Following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, the government rolled out a series of measures to stabilize the economy and help ease livelihood burdens stemming from the impact of the Middle East conflict, including a fuel price cap.

Among the negative responses, concerns over the economy, including people's livelihoods and the high dollar-won exchange rate, stood at 16 percent, followed by his diplomacy and unilateral decision-making at 8 percent.

The approval rating for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose 1 percentage point to 47 percent, marking its highest level since Lee took office in June last year.

Support for the main opposition People Power Party fell 1 percentage point to 20 percent.