President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating has climbed to a new high of 67 percent, extending a steady upward streak, a poll showed Friday, with economic management cited as the top driver of public support.
According to a Gallup Korea poll conducted from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,004 respondents aged 18 and older, positive assessments of Lee’s job performance rose 1 percentage point from the previous week to 67 percent, marking a third consecutive weekly high and extending an upward trend for five straight weeks since early February. Negative evaluations also edged up to 25 percent, while 8 percent were undecided.
The latest figure places Lee ahead of the average approval ratings of former presidents Park Geun-hye (55 percent) and Yoon Suk Yeol (34 percent) at a comparable stage in their terms, though still below President Moon Jae-in’s average of 73 percent.
Economic management emerged as the top driver of Lee’s approval at 17 percent, followed by overall performance at 10 percent and diplomacy at 9 percent, as the government moved to cushion the impact of Middle East tensions with measures such as fuel price caps and broader efforts to ease pressure on household finances.
At the same time, concerns over the economy remained the top reason for negative assessments, cited by 18 percent of respondents, underscoring persistent worries over household finances and a weak won.
Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea stood at 46 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous week but still more than double the main opposition People Power Party’s 20 percent. Notably, the Democratic Party also edged ahead in the conservative stronghold of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, with 29 percent support compared to the People Power Party’s 28 percent.
The poll also highlighted public caution toward overseas military involvement. When asked about dispatching naval forces to the war in Iran, 55 percent of respondents said South Korea should not, while 30 percent supported the idea.
The results reflect a broader pattern of public reluctance toward military engagement abroad. In a 2022 poll on support for Ukraine, a majority favored nonmilitary assistance, while opposition also outweighed support for sending combat troops to Iraq that same year.
Separately, views were mixed on recently passed judicial reform legislation, with 40 percent saying the measures would have a positive impact and 28 percent expressing negative views.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
