President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating has fallen to 40%, the lowest since he took office, as criticism of his housing policy persisted and controversy over his second cabinet reshuffle added to the pressure. Support was relatively weak among voters in their 20s and 30s, which analysts said suggests that disputes surrounding some ministerial nominees have also damaged sentiment among younger voters.
In a Gallup Korea survey of 1,001 adults aged 18 and older conducted from the 1st to the 3rd of this month and released on the 4th, 40% said they approved of Lee's job performance, down 2 percentage points from the previous week. Disapproval stood at 51%, unchanged from a week earlier. The gap between approval and disapproval widened to 11 percentage points.
Housing policy was the most cited reason for disapproval at 23%. It has ranked first among reasons for disapproval every week since the fourth week of July. The economy and livelihood issues followed at 11%, while personnel appointments accounted for 9%. That reflects negative public sentiment over the replacement of ministers at six government agencies announced on the 30th of last month, analysts said.
By age group, approval was lowest among those aged 18 to 29 at 25%, followed by 31% among people in their 30s. Disapproval among those in their 30s reached 60%, the highest of any age group. Analysts warned that the various controversies during the reshuffle could deepen distrust of the government among younger voters, who are especially sensitive to questions of fairness. Yong Hye-in, the nominee for gender equality and family minister, drew criticism after saying she would retain her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly even after being appointed minister. Her husband, Park Ki-hong, also faced allegations of preferential treatment over the 3 million won he received each month while working as a staff member of the Basic Income Party.
Allegations that Kim Seung-won, the nominee for justice minister, sought favors related to a clinical trial of a COVID-19 treatment are another variable. Kim's side has denied the allegations, saying he merely passed along a grievance filed in the public interest, but the dispute is expected to continue ahead of his confirmation hearing.
In party support, the Democratic Party fell 1 percentage point from the previous week to 38%, while the People Power Party rose 5 percentage points to 30%. It was the first time the People Power Party has reached 30% since the current government took office. The gap between the two parties narrowed to 8 percentage points.
