President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating for his governance has dropped to 43%, a 7 percentage point decline from two weeks ago, marking the lowest level since he took office. Opposition to the deployment in the Hormuz Strait exceeds support by a significant margin.
According to a nationwide survey conducted by Embrain Public, K-Stat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research, 43% of respondents rated President Lee's governance positively, down 7 percentage points from the last survey in the fourth week of August.
Negative evaluations increased by 5 percentage points to 48%. The gap between positive and negative evaluations is within the margin of error at 5 percentage points, with 9% of respondents unsure or not responding.
By age group, negative evaluations were higher than positive ones in all age brackets except for those in their 40s and 50s. Among moderates, 41% expressed positive views while 49% had negative views.
Trust in governance was evenly split, with 48% of respondents indicating they trust the government and 48% indicating they do not. Among moderates, 48% expressed trust while 49% did not.
In terms of policy areas, welfare policy received the highest positive evaluation at 56%, followed by foreign policy at 49%, economic policy at 40%, North Korea policy at 37%, and real estate policy at 24%. Overall, positive evaluations have declined since the second week of June, with a notable drop in real estate policy ratings.
Regarding the deployment of maritime patrol aircraft and logistical support vessels to the Hormuz Strait, 45% opposed the plan, while 36% supported it, a 9 percentage point difference. Unsure or non-responses accounted for 19%.
By age group, opposition was particularly strong among those in their 40s and 50s, with 54% and 59% opposing, respectively. Among supporters of the Democratic Party, 31% were in favor while 55% opposed. In contrast, supporters of the People Power Party showed 46% in favor and 40% opposed. Ideologically, 60% of progressives opposed the deployment, while 53% of conservatives supported it.
In terms of party support, the Democratic Party stands at 39%, the People Power Party at 25%, the Justice Party at 3%, and both the Reform Party and the Progressive Party at 1%. Compared to the previous survey, the Democratic Party saw a 2 percentage point decline, while the People Power Party increased by 5 percentage points. Those without a party affiliation or who did not respond accounted for 30%.
Negative evaluations also dominated the assessment of ministerial nominations. The nomination of Kim Seung-won as Minister of Justice was deemed a "poor choice" by 47% of respondents, while only 24% considered it a "good choice." The nomination of Yong Hye-in as Minister of Gender Equality and Family received a negative evaluation of 63%, far exceeding the 17% positive evaluation.
This survey was conducted from September 7 to 9, involving 1,002 men and women aged 18 and older, using telephone interviews with virtual numbers. The response rate was 15.4%, and the margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For more details, please refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.