SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has fallen to a record low of 33.8 percent, according to a poll released on Monday.
Pollster Realmeter surveyed more than 2,500 adults nationwide last week and found that 33.8 percent of respondents said Lee was doing a good job, down 3.6 percentage points from the previous week. It marked the ninth consecutive week of decline and the lowest since he took office in June last year.
It was the lowest level since he took office in June last year, marking the ninth consecutive week of decline.
His disapproval rating rose 3.8 percentage points to 63.3 percent, surpassing 60 percent for the first time. Some 2.9 percent of respondents remained undecided.
The decline in his approval rating was especially pronounced among younger voters and those who identified as progressives. Approval among voters in their 20s fell 10.2 percentage points, while support among progressives dropped 8 percentage points. It also declined 4.1 percentage points among those in their 60s and 3.6 percentage points among those aged 70 and older.
By region, approval fell most sharply in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, dropping 9.1 percentage points, followed by Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province at 6.8 points, Daejeon, Sejong and Chungcheong provinces at 6.5 points, and Gwangju and Jeolla provinces at 5.5 points.
Citing a sharp decline in support among young voters in particular, Realmeter attributed the overall decline to controversies surrounding new ministerial nominees, debates over sending troops to the Strait of Hormuz, and persistent concerns over real estate-related policies and taxes.
In a separate poll of about 1,000 adults, 36.1 percent backed the ruling Democratic Party (DP), while 42.1 percent supported the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), a reversal for the first time in 11 weeks.
Support for other minor parties stood at 4.7 percent for the liberal Rebuilding Korea Party and 1.3 percent each for the centrist Reform Party and the left-wing Progressive Party. Some 12.2 percent of respondents said they did not support any of the parties.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell to 33.8 percent in a Realmeter poll released on Sept. 14, 2026, marking his lowest approval rating since taking office in June 2025 and the ninth consecutive weekly decline.
- Approval for President Lee Jae Myung dropped most sharply among voters in their 20s, falling 10.2 percentage points, while support among self-identified progressives fell 8 percentage points, according to the September 2026 Realmeter survey of more than 2,500 South Korean adults.
- In a separate Realmeter poll of about 1,000 South Korean adults released the same week, support for the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) reached 42.1 percent, surpassing the ruling Democratic Party (DP) at 36.1 percent for the first time in 11 weeks.
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