What did the latest National Barometer Survey find about Lee Jae Myung’s approval and disapproval ratings?

Positive assessments of Lee’s job performance fell 2 percentage points from two weeks earlier, while negative assessments rose 3 points. His disapproval rating had been higher for several weeks before the previous poll showed approval ahead.

Why did respondents want Lee Jae Myung to scale back his social media communication?

Among respondents who wanted Lee to use social media less for direct communication about policy, the concern was that remarks made without sufficient deliberation could cause confusion. The survey did not give further reasons.

How did support for South Korea’s ruling and main opposition parties change in the poll?

Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea declined by 1 percentage point to 35 percent. The main opposition People Power Party’s support was unchanged at 25 percent.

Lee's disapproval rating again outruns approval rating: poll

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Summary

President Lee Jae Myung’s disapproval rating rose to 47 percent in a nationwide survey conducted Monday through Wednesday, surpassing his approval rating. Positive assessments of his job performance fell 2 percentage points to 44 percent, while negative assessments rose 3 points. The poll also found that a majority of respondents wanted Lee to scale back his direct communication through social media.

Key Facts

The National Barometer Survey questioned 1,001 adults nationwide.
Lee’s disapproval rating had exceeded his approval rating for several weeks before the previous poll reversed that trend.
Fifty-one percent of respondents said Lee should reduce his social media use to communicate policy, while 42 percent supported it.
Support for the Democratic Party of Korea fell 1 percentage point to 35 percent, while support for the People Power Party remained at 25 percent.
The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 12, 2026 1:02 pm KST
Updated Nov 12, 2026 1:13 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung's disapproval rating rose to 47 percent this week, surpassing his approval rating, a survey showed Thursday.

In a survey of 1,001 adults nationwide conducted Monday through Wednesday, positive assessments of Lee's job performance fell 2 percentage points to 44 percent from two weeks earlier, according to the National Barometer Survey (NBS).

Negative assessments rose 3 percentage points to 47 percent.

Lee's disapproval rating had remained higher than his approval rating for several weeks before the trend reversed in the previous poll.

The survey also showed that 51 percent of respondents said Lee should scale back his use of social media to directly communicate with the public on his policy direction, citing concerns that remarks made "without sufficient deliberation" could cause confusion.

Another 42 percent supported his use of social media for communication.

Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea fell 1 percentage point to 35 percent, while that of the main opposition People Power Party remained unchanged at 25 percent.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

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