President Lee Jaemyung at 37.3%... Approval Rating Rebounds for First Time in 3 Weeks [Asia Business Daily-Realmeter Poll]

People Power Party at 40.9%, Democratic Party of Korea at 36.2%... Rebuilding Korea Party Nears 7% mark

President Lee Jae-myung's job approval rating rebounded for the first time in three weeks, rising to the upper 30% range. The rating recovered early in the week, buoyed by the administration's focus on policies addressing people's livelihoods. However, the gains narrowed later in the week amid stock market instability and other factors.

According to a regular poll conducted by Realmeter at the request of The Asia Business Daily and released on October 19, the president's job approval rating stood at 37.3%, up 2.1 percentage points from the weekly survey conducted in the second week of October. The poll surveyed 2,520 registered voters aged 18 or older nationwide over five days from October 12 to 16 using automated responses via wireless phones. The margin of error was ±2.0 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and the response rate was 2.7%. Of respondents, 26.2% said the president was doing a very good job, while 11.1% said he was doing a somewhat good job.

The disapproval rating was 60.4%—50.0% saying he was doing a very poor job and 10.3% saying he was doing a somewhat poor job—down 1.0 percentage point from the previous week's survey. Disapproval thus exceeded approval by 23.1 percentage points, outside the margin of error. Some 2.3% said they did not know.

In daily figures, the approval rating rose from 34.2% on October 8 to 41.4% on October 13, then fell to 37.7% on October 14 and 34.5% on October 15. It was measured at 35.8% on October 16, up 1.3 percentage points.

The rebound recouped most of the previous week's decline. President Lee's approval rating fell 2.2 percentage points last week, then rose 2.1 percentage points this week, bringing it close to the 37.4% recorded in the first week of October.

By region, approval rose 6.0 percentage points in Incheon and Gyeonggi (from 33.0% to 39.0%) and 3.6 percentage points in Daejeon, Sejong and Chungcheong (from 33.7% to 37.3%). It fell 5.0 percentage points in Jeonnam-Gwangju and Jeonbuk (from 59.7% to 54.7%). By age group, it rose 8.1 percentage points among those aged 70 or older (from 31.7% to 39.8%) and 3.6 percentage points among those in their 60s (from 38.2% to 41.8%), while falling 3.3 percentage points among those in their 30s (from 31.3% to 28.0%). By ideological orientation, approval rose 4.7 percentage points among progressives (from 53.0% to 57.7%) and 2.4 percentage points among conservatives (from 10.2% to 12.6%).

A Realmeter official said, "The approval rating appears to have rebounded because the emphasis on extraordinary measures against violent crime following the Incheon knife rampage, as well as policies addressing people's livelihoods in areas such as housing, jobs and finance, had a positive impact." The official added, "However, the sharp stock market decline later in the week spread unease in financial markets, and the approval rating appears to have turned downward, giving back some of its gains."

According to a separate survey on support for political parties, the Democratic Party of Korea's support stood at 36.2%, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous week's survey. The poll surveyed 1,005 registered voters aged 18 or older nationwide over two days, October 15 and 16, using automated responses via wireless phones. The margin of error was ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and the response rate was 2.7%. After falling 7.0 percentage points last week, the party gained just 0.7 percentage points this week, leaving it 6.3 percentage points below its 42.5% rating in the first week of October. The People Power Party's support fell 0.4 percentage points to 40.9%.

The gap between the two parties narrowed to 4.7 percentage points. It remained within the margin of error for the ninth consecutive week. The Rebuilding Korea Party received 6.9%, the Reform Party 1.8%, the Progressive Party 1.1%, other parties 2.2%, and independents 11.1%. Notably, the Rebuilding Korea Party's support has risen for three consecutive weeks, bringing it close to 7%.

By region, support for the People Power Party fell 13.4 percentage points in Daegu and Gyeongbuk (from 55.1% to 41.7%) and 5.8 percentage points in Daejeon, Sejong and Chungcheong (from 45.3% to 39.5%). In contrast, it rose 7.1 percentage points in Seoul (from 38.6% to 45.7%) and 4.6 percentage points in Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam (from 42.6% to 47.2%). Support for the Democratic Party of Korea rose 6.8 percentage points in Incheon and Gyeonggi (from 32.7% to 39.5%), 5.2 percentage points in Daegu and Gyeongbuk (from 24.1% to 29.3%), and 4.2 percentage points in Daejeon, Sejong and Chungcheong (from 35.4% to 39.6%), but fell 6.1 percentage points in Seoul (from 32.8% to 26.7%). In Daegu and Gyeongbuk, where support for the People Power Party fell significantly, the share of independents also rose 9.6 percentage points (from 11.5% to 21.1%).

By age group, support for the People Power Party fell 13.4 percentage points among those aged 70 or older (from 55.6% to 42.2%). Support for the Democratic Party of Korea rose 9.1 percentage points among those aged 70 or older (from 29.1% to 38.2%) and 6.8 percentage points among those in their 20s (from 19.3% to 26.1%). In contrast, the Democratic Party's support fell 8.8 percentage points among those in their 30s (from 36.3% to 27.5%) and 7.4 percentage points among those in their 50s (from 48.7% to 41.3%). Among those in their 30s, support for the People Power Party rose 8.9 percentage points (from 41.8% to 50.7%).

By ideological orientation, support for the People Power Party fell 8.3 percentage points among conservatives (from 82.5% to 74.2%), while rising 3.4 percentage points among moderates (from 35.4% to 38.8%) and 2.8 percentage points among progressives (from 12.3% to 15.1%). Support for the Democratic Party of Korea rose 3.6 percentage points among conservatives (from 8.7% to 12.3%), fell 2.2 percentage points among moderates (from 39.9% to 37.7%), and rose 0.8 percentage points among progressives (from 59.5% to 60.3%). Accordingly, among moderates, the Democratic Party had led the People Power Party by 4.5 percentage points last week, but this week the People Power Party led by 1.1 percentage points, with support at 38.8% for the People Power Party and 37.7% for the Democratic Party. The share of independents rose 2.3 percentage points among conservatives (from 2.7% to 5.0%) and 1.3 percentage points among progressives (from 3.9% to 5.2%).

A Realmeter official said, "The Democratic Party's support appears to have edged up partly because its condemnation of North Korea's landmine provocation and its security response led to some expansion in support, while public backlash against internal divisions within the opposition and political disputes was also reflected."

Regarding the People Power Party, the official said, "Its support appears to have edged down as controversies over political wrangling surrounding Assemblyman Joo Jin-woo's push for a 'golf special counsel bill' coincided with clashes within the party leadership over whether to hold a re-vote in the Yongin Gap constituency. These internal divisions appear to have led traditional supporters—including people in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, those aged 70 or older, and conservatives—to leave the party."

For more information about the polls, visit the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

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