Archive · 21 Sep 2026
South Korean President Lee's Approval Rating Rises After Ten Weeks
A poll measures how many people approve of the president’s work.
President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating increased for the first time in 10 weeks.
It reached 34.8 percent, up from the previous week.
However, more people—63.4 percent—still said they disapproved of his performance.
The increase came after Lee held a press conference on Friday.
He explained his views on issues including presidential term limits, indictments, troop deployments, and government reform.
His support increased most among people in their 20s.
Two minister nominees also withdrew after controversies about their qualifications.
The poll included 2,507 adults across South Korea.
Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating rose one percentage point to 34.8 percent.
Negative assessments increased slightly to 63.4 percent, according to Realmeter.
The increase followed Lee’s press conference addressing several key political issues.
Approval rose most among people in their 20s, reaching 24 percent.
The poll surveyed 2,507 adults and had a two-point margin of error.
- Who
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and 2,507 surveyed adults.
- What
- Lee’s approval rating rose to 34.8 percent, while disapproval reached 63.4 percent.
- When
- The poll was conducted from Monday through Friday last week; Lee held the relevant press conference on Friday.
- Where
- Nationwide in South Korea.
- Why
- The pollster attributed the increase partly to Lee clarifying key political positions and reaffirming his commitment to government reform.
- Approval rating
- 34.8 percent, up 1 percentage point from the previous week
- Disapproval rating
- 63.4 percent, up 0.1 percentage point
- Survey sample
- 2,507 adults nationwide
- Pollster
- Realmeter
- Margin of error
- 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level
- Largest age-group increase
- People in their 20s, up 5.4 percentage points to 24 percent
- Press conference
- Lee’s approval rose during the week and reached 37.2 percent on Friday, the day he held the conference