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South Korea: President Lee's approval hits record lows

Updated 24 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-09 05:24 UTC → 2026-09-11 03:17 UTC · added ~~removed~~

President Lee Jae-myung’s public approval continues to decline, reaching new lows. Recent Gallup Korea data reported a 42% approval rating and a record 50% disapproval rate, with real estate policy cited by 27% of respondents as a primary driver of dissatisfaction. Other concerns include economic issues and the reduction of prosecutorial powers. By late August, Realmeter polling indicated a seventh consecutive week of decline, with approval falling to 38.9%. Following a recent cabinet reshuffle, the downward trend accelerated. As of early September, approval dropped to 37.4%, while negative sentiment reached 59.5%. This slump is attributed to intense scrutiny over new ministerial appointments, specifically Kim Seung-won for Minister of Justice, who faces allegations regarding COVID-19 clinical trial approvals, and Yong Hye-in for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, who is embroiled in controversies regarding dual roles and affiliations. By September 8, Hangil Research reported a further drop in approval to 36.4%, with negative evaluations rising to 62.1%. Notably, negative sentiment in Seoul reached 69.3%. Respondents, particularly in their 20s and 30s, expressed belief that the administration has not implemented any successful policies, citing real estate and prosecutorial reforms as major failures. ~~Amidst this,~~ By mid-September, Media Tomato reported that approximately 28.4% of previous supporters no longer support the ~~administration~~ President, with overall approval in the 30% range and negative evaluations at 58.8%. Opposition leaders from the ~~Democratic~~ People Power Party have ~~proposed various reforms through ‘public participation’ models. These include constitutional amendments to rename the National Election Commission to the ‘National Suffrage Commission’ and~~ criticized the ~~launch~~ management of agricultural land and called for a special prosecutor to investigate alleged police ~~reform group focused on citizen participation. However, critics argue these processes~~ misconduct in Jeju. Gallup Korea later reported a record low approval rating of 38%, with 51% negative sentiment. Critics have suggested that recent judicial appointments may be ~~biased toward organized interest groups or used~~ intended to ~~justify pre-determined decisions.~~ shield the President from ongoing judicial risks.

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