Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has reached a notable 63 percent as he approaches his 100th day in office. This climb in approval is largely attributed to positive reception of his recent diplomatic engagements with U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a Gallup Korea survey of 1,002 adults conducted between Tuesday and Thursday revealed that 63 percent of respondents positively evaluated Lee's performance. This marks an increase of 4 percentage points from the previous week. The President's approval rating has risen for two consecutive weeks after it hit a record low of 56 percent in the third week of August. The dip in August was partially due to his controversial decision to grant special pardons to several political figures.
Of those who viewed Lee's performance favorably, 18 percent attributed their approval to his diplomatic efforts, 13 percent to economic policies, and 9 percent to his overall performance. The survey indicated a decrease in the negative assessment of Lee, which fell by 2 percentage points to 28 percent.
President Lee, who will mark his 100th day in office next Thursday, currently holds the third-highest approval rating for a president at this stage. He trails behind former President Kim Young-sam, who had an 83 percent approval rating, and former President Moon Jae-in, who had a 78 percent rating at the same point in their presidencies.
The approval rating for the ruling Democratic Party has dropped by 3 percentage points to 41 percent. Meanwhile, the main opposition People Power Party saw a slight increase in approval, gaining 1 percentage point to reach 24 percent. The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, with a confidence level of 95 percent.