President Lee's Approval Rating Falls Below 50% for First Time

The Blue House stated that it accepts the recent survey results showing that President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating has fallen below 50% for the first time since his inauguration. On June 22, a Blue House official said, "We accept the recent fluctuations in approval ratings with seriousness and humility," adding that the changes reflect the public's perception of the economic situation and overall governance.

According to a Realmeter survey commissioned by the Energy Economy Newspaper, conducted from June 15 to 19 among 2,517 eligible voters aged 18 and older, President Lee's approval rating dropped by 4.8 percentage points to 46.7%. This marks the first time his approval rating has fallen into the 40% range since taking office.

While the approval rating decreased by 4.8 percentage points, disapproval ratings increased by 5.5 percentage points, narrowing the gap between the two metrics to within the margin of error at 3 percentage points.

Analysts suggest that the decline in approval ratings is linked to the fallout from the mismanagement of the June 3 local elections and internal conflicts within the Democratic Party.

On the same day, President Lee shared an article on X (formerly Twitter) regarding South Korea's rise to 21st place in the International Institute for Management Development's (IMD) global competitiveness rankings, an improvement of six spots from last year. He stated, "The real economy and national competitiveness are gradually improving, thanks to the tireless efforts of the people." He emphasized that the purpose of politics extends beyond mere governance; it is about taking responsibility for the nation's fate and the lives of 50 million citizens.

President Lee urged citizens to unite and push for a better future, stating, "The position of a leader is not an opportunity for happiness taken by force, but an infinite responsibility entrusted to them."

The survey was conducted using a 100% random sampling method through an automated response system (ARS). The response rate for the presidential performance evaluation was 4.2%, with a margin of error of ±2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. More details can be found on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.