Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
Lee’s approval falls to 35.2% as opposition party leads poll
A Realmeter poll found that 35.2% of respondents approved of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s performance, down 2.2 percentage points from the previous week.
The survey questioned 1,504 people aged 18 and over across South Korea from October 6 to 8.
Another survey, conducted October 7 and 8, found the opposition People Power Party at 41.3% and the governing Democratic Party at 35.7% in party support.
The story headline gives the Democratic Party’s figure as 35.5%, so the reported number differs within the same story.
The pollster said debate over judicial independence, a dispute over security after a landmine blast in the DMZ, and rising housing costs may have contributed to the president’s decline.
These figures offer a snapshot of public sentiment, but the surveys’ stated margins of error mean small differences should be treated with caution.
The story gives no further developments or next steps.
President Lee Jae-myung’s job approval fell 2.2 percentage points to 35.2%, marking a second consecutive weekly decline.
Negative assessments of his performance rose 1.6 points to 61.4%, according to a Realmeter poll.
The pollster attributed the decline to controversies over appointments and judicial independence, security disputes, and rising housing costs.
The Democratic Party’s support fell 7 points to 35.7%, while the People Power Party rose 2.9 points to 41.3%.
The 5.6-point party gap was within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 points.
- Who
- President Lee Jae-myung and South Korea’s Democratic Party and People Power Party.
- What
- Lee’s approval fell to 35.2%; the People Power Party led the Democratic Party in party support, 41.3% to 35.7%.
- When
- The polls were conducted on October 6–8 for presidential approval and October 7–8 for party support; results were reported on October 12, 2026.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- Realmeter cited controversies over judicial independence and security, along with rising housing costs, as factors behind Lee’s falling approval.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
인사·안보·부동산 악재가 국정감사 이슈로 집중되면서 지지율 하락을 이끈 것으로 보인다
Realmeter surveyed 1,504 people aged 18 or older about Lee’s job performance.
Realmeter surveyed 1,004 people aged 18 or older about party support.
The poll results were reported, showing Lee’s approval at 35.2% and the People Power Party ahead in party support.
- Lee’s approval
- 35.2%, down 2.2 percentage points
- Negative assessment
- 61.4%, up 1.6 percentage points
- Democratic Party support
- 35.7%, down 7.0 percentage points
- People Power Party support
- 41.3%, up 2.9 percentage points
- Party-support poll margin of error
- ±3.1 percentage points










