Why did President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating rise in the latest Gallup Korea poll?

Gallup Korea did not give a single reason for the increase. The pollster said diplomacy was the most often cited reason for positive views of Lee at 19 percent, followed by the economy and people’s livelihoods at 11 percent.

What were the biggest reasons people disapproved of President Lee Jae Myung in the poll?

Real estate policies were the top reason for disapproval at 28 percent. Concerns over the economy and people’s livelihoods came next at 12 percent, while defense, security and North Korea-related policies were cited by 7 percent.

How did support for the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party change in the survey?

There was no change from the previous week. The Democratic Party of Korea held at 41 percent and the People Power Party remained at 25 percent.

Lee's approval rating inches up from record low to 45%: poll

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Summary

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose slightly in a Gallup Korea poll released Friday after hitting a record low. The survey of 1,004 adults found 45 percent approved of his state affairs management, up 1 percentage point from last week, while 45 percent disapproved and 11 percent were undecided. Diplomacy was the most common reason for approval, while real estate policies were the top reason for disapproval. Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party was unchanged at 41 percent and 25 percent.

Key Facts

Gallup Korea conducted the survey from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,004 people aged 18 and older.
The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
Among supporters of Lee, diplomacy was the most frequently cited reason at 19 percent, followed by the economy and people’s livelihoods at 11 percent and overall performance and communication at 7 percent each.
Among critics, 28 percent cited his real estate policies, 12 percent pointed to the economy and people’s livelihoods, and 7 percent cited defense, security and North Korea-related policies.
Support for the Democratic Party of Korea stood at 41 percent, while support for the People Power Party was 25 percent.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 21, 2026 11:47 am KST

President Lee Jae Myung, center, enters a senior aides' meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose slightly this week after hitting a record low, a poll showed Friday.

In a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,004 people aged 18 and older, 45 percent positively assessed Lee's management of state affairs, up 1 percentage point from a record low of 44 percent in the previous survey released last week.

Lee's disapproval rating also stood at 45 percent, while 11 percent said they were undecided.

The pollster did not provide a reason for the increase in his approval rating, though diplomacy was the most frequently cited reason for the positive evaluation at 19 percent, followed by the economy and people's livelihoods at 11 percent, and overall performance and communication at 7 percent each.

Among those who disapproved of his performance, 28 percent pointed to his real estate policies, followed by concerns over the economy and people's livelihoods at 12 percent and defense, security and North Korea-related policies at 7 percent.

The pollster said the increase in the number of respondents citing defense appeared to stem from the government's recent proposal to integrate the three military academies of the armed services into a single institution, as well as U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks that North Korea has 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons.

Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party remained unchanged from the previous week at 41 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

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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