President Lee's Approval Rating Hits Record Low... Bows His Head and Declares "No Re-election"

Maximum Respect for the Public’s Will
Appointment System to Be Re-examined
Proving with Results, Not Words
Ruling Party Faces Stagnant and Declining Ratings
Calls for Broader Unity within the Democratic Bloc
Opposition Steps Up Offensive, Demanding Prosecution Withdrawal

President Jae-myung Lee lowered his posture and expressed his apologies to the public for causing disappointment at a press conference on the 18th, where he announced he would not seek re-election. This declaration is interpreted as stemming from concerns about losing his political momentum, as his approval rating dropped to its lowest level since taking office. President Lee also called for unity within the broader democratic bloc.

◆Lowest approval rating since inauguration... Real estate and appointments cited as factors=President Lee's press conference was held with the recent sharp drop in his approval ratings in mind. According to a public opinion poll released by Gallup Korea on the same day, the positive evaluation of his job performance was 37%, down 1 percentage point from the previous week, while the negative evaluation rose 5 percentage points to 56%.

This marks the lowest positive and highest negative ratings since his inauguration. Reasons for the negative assessment included: ▲real estate policies (20%), ▲appointments (16%), ▲economy and livelihood (9%), and ▲prosecution power reduction and issues of morality or trial avoidance (5%). Real estate issues, along with recent controversies sparked by the second-term cabinet reshuffle, have become stumbling blocks for the President.

This could lead to a further decline in political momentum. For President Lee, it took one year and four months for his negative job evaluation to reach the mid-to-late 50% range according to Gallup, which is relatively quick compared to former presidents Moon Jae-in (in his fifth year) and Park Geun-hye (in her third year). This is why the example of former President Lee Myung-bak, who managed to recover from early low approval ratings, is drawing attention. President Lee also stated, “I will prove myself not with words, but with results,” and emphasized, “I will continue unwaveringly on the path of livelihood, reform, and unity.”

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Dohoon Kim = President Jae-myung Lee is answering questions from the press during a press conference held at the Blue House State Guest House on the 18th. 2026.9.18 Photo by Dohoon Kim

◆"No intention to seek re-election"=President Lee was particularly clear in his statement: “Re-election through constitutional revision is impossible. I have absolutely no intention of seeking re-election.” He added, “Demands to pledge not to run for re-election are merely political offensives designed to create a narrative that I am abandoning a previously planned run.”

This clearly draws a line against the opposition’s emphasis on constitutional amendment for re-election. Choi Jae-sung, Special Advisor to the leader of the Democratic Party, said, “Re-election is impossible without opposition consent, but we find ourselves having to respond to the opposition's lowest political attacks. With such malicious narratives at play, we have no choice but to reject them cleanly.”

President Lee also showed remorse for the controversy over the recent second-term reshuffle, stating, “In exercising all state powers, including appointment administration, I will fully respect the will of the people, who are the sovereigns,” and added, “We will take this opportunity to re-examine the appointment system as well.”

◆Ruling party seeks a rebound=The ruling party, feeling the urgency, is determined to use this press conference as a turning point for recovery and self-reflection. The party’s own approval rating has also stagnated or declined. The Democratic Party’s rating stands at 40%, while the People Power Party is at 27%. In some automated response (ARS) polls, the gap has even been reversed.

Representative Park Ji-won said on Democratic Party TV that “as a senior member of the ruling party, I also bear a significant responsibility.” Party leader Kim Min-seok stated, “I too will be more modest and refrain from speaking unnecessarily,” and pledged, “I will gradually solve problems and work to raise our approval rating, step by step.” The ruling party held a private meeting to watch the press conference together that day.

◆Diverging views on public opinion trends=However, opinions are divided as to whether this press conference will serve as a catalyst for a rebound. The opposition parties are already ramping up their offensives. Jeong Jeom-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party, stated that morning, “President Lee has become vulnerable to the ruling party’s prosecution dissolution hardliners. To overcome the lame duck situation, he must abandon the nomination of Justice Minister candidate Kim Seung-won and the withdrawal of prosecutions.” Na Kyung-won, a lawmaker, questioned on SBS’s ‘Political Show’, “Is it really possible to get through the Kim nomination controversy so easily?”

Meanwhile, the public opinion poll referenced in the article was conducted via wireless phone interviews with 1,002 people nationwide. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and the response rate is 9.8%. For more detailed information, refer to the website of the National Election Surveys Deliberation Commission.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.