South Korean President's Approval Rating Hits New Low Amid Controversy Over Cabinet Reshuffle

(MENAFN- IANS) Seoul, Sep 14 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell to the lowest level since he took office, marking the ninth consecutive week of decline, a poll showed on Monday.

In the poll conducted among 2,515 adults from Monday to Friday by Realmeter and commissioned by the EKN newspaper, 33.8 per cent positively assessed Lee's handling of state affairs, down 3.6 percentage points from the previous week.

His disapproval rating rose 3.8 percentage points to 63.3 per cent.

Realmeter attributed the decline in Lee's approval rating to negative public sentiment over controversies surrounding his recent Cabinet reshuffle, the possible deployment of military assets to the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over real estate policies.

The pollster also cited a sharp drop in support among liberal voters and those in their 20s, with support from those aged 18 to 29 falling 10.2 percentage points, reports Yonhap news agency.

Lee's picks for justice minister and gender equality minister have been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks.

Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor Basic Income Party, who was tapped as the new minister of gender equality, stepped down Sunday amid mounting criticism over alleged nepotism and her intention to retain her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly even if appointed to the Cabinet.

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won has faced allegations that he illegally lobbied authorities over the approval of a Covid treatment in 2021.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.

In a separate poll conducted by the same pollster, support for the ruling Democratic Party fell 5.7 percentage points from a week earlier to 36.1 per cent, while support for the main opposition People Power Party rose 4.5 percentage points to 42.1 per cent.

The poll was conducted on 1,003 individuals aged 18 and older on Thursday and Friday, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.

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