What reasons did South Koreans give for approving or disapproving of President Lee Jae Myung’s performance in the latest Gallup Korea poll?

Among those who disapproved, 17 percent cited real estate policies and 15 percent cited economic and livelihood concerns. Among those who approved, economic and livelihood issues led at 19 percent, followed by diplomacy at 17 percent and communication at 9 percent.

How did support for South Korea’s Democratic Party of Korea and People Power Party change in the latest poll?

Support for the Democratic Party of Korea increased 3 percentage points to 39 percent, its second consecutive weekly rise after reaching its lowest level under the current administration in late October. The People Power Party fell 2 points to 26 percent, putting it 13 points behind the ruling party.

What political dispute was unfolding as Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating fell to 39 percent?

The poll came amid disputes over a special counsel bill concerning allegations of fabricated indictments targeting Lee. The bill passed the National Assembly the previous week.

Lee's approval rating falls back below 40%: poll

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Summary

President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating fell 2 percentage points to 39 percent in a Gallup Korea poll conducted Tuesday through Thursday. Disapproval remained at 50 percent, with real estate policies and economic concerns the leading reasons cited by critics. Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose to 39 percent, while support for the People Power Party fell to 26 percent.

Key Facts

The survey questioned 1,002 people aged 18 and older and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
Among respondents who approved of Lee’s performance, 19 percent cited economic and livelihood issues, 17 percent cited diplomacy and 9 percent cited communication.
The controversial special counsel bill concerning allegations of fabricated indictments targeting Lee passed the National Assembly last week.
The Democratic Party of Korea’s support rose 3 percentage points for a second consecutive week, while the People Power Party’s support fell 2 points, leaving a 13-point gap.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 13, 2026 11:03 am KST
Updated Nov 13, 2026 11:24 am KST

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a capital market policy discussion meeting in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating slipped back to 39 percent this week, a weekly poll showed Friday, amid negative sentiment over his real estate policies and economic concerns.

The survey, conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,002 people aged 18 and older, showed that positive assessments of Lee's performance fell 2 percentage points from the previous week, when the figure stood at 41 percent.

Lee's approval rating has fluctuated around the 40 percent mark in recent weeks after hitting a low of 37 percent in October.

Those who disapproved of Lee's handling of state affairs remained unchanged from the previous week at 50 percent.

Real estate policies were cited the most by those who disapproved of Lee's performance at 17 percent, followed by economic and livelihood concerns at 15 percent.

Among those who positively assessed Lee's performance, 19 percent cited economic and livelihood issues, followed by diplomacy at 17 percent and communication at 9 percent.

The latest survey came amid political disputes over a controversial special counsel bill over allegations of fabricated indictments targeting Lee, which passed the National Assembly last week, as well concerns over the government's real estate policies and the volatile stock market.

Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose 3 percentage points to 39 percent, rising for the second straight week after hitting its lowest level under the current administration in late October.

Support for the main opposition People Power Party fell 2 percentage points to 26 percent, widening the gap with the DP to 13 percentage points.

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

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