Presidential Approval Sees Decline, Party Support Tightens
Recent polling indicates a sustained decline in President Lee Jae-myung’s job approval rating, which has now fallen for three consecutive weeks. The latest survey results show the President’s approval at 55.2%, a decrease of 3.9 percentage points from the previous week. This marks the third consecutive week of decline, following a high of 60.5% in the second week of May.
The surveys, conducted by Realmeter from June 1st to June 5th (excluding holidays) among 2,013 eligible voters nationwide, also reveal shifts in party support. The Democratic Party’s approval rating stands at 41.8%, while the People Power Party has seen a slight increase to 41.1%. This narrows the gap between the two major parties to within the margin of error for the first time in five months.
Factors Influencing the Downturn
Analysts attribute the President’s declining approval to several factors. The recent local elections, particularly the failure to reclaim the Seoul mayoral seat, appear to have impacted public sentiment. While the Democratic Party secured victories in 12 metropolitan mayoralties, the loss in Seoul, a key battleground, is considered a significant setback. Furthermore, the party’s defeat in crucial districts like Busan Buk-gu Gup and Pyeongtaek has led to concerns about alienation among the middle class and younger demographics.
Conversely, the People Power Party appears to have benefited from the incumbent mayor’s re-election in Seoul, consolidating support in the capital region. The party also managed to retain key strongholds such as Pyeongtaek and Daegu, bolstering their position.
The survey on presidential approval was conducted using an ARS (Automated Response System) method without random digit dialing. The response rate was 5.7%, with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of ±2.2 percentage points. The party approval survey had a response rate of 5.6% and a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at the same confidence level.
President’s Remarks on Election Day Issues
In a related development, President Lee Jae-myung expressed significant regret regarding the issues that arose during the June 3rd local elections. During a meeting with senior secretaries on June 4th, the President stated, “I express deep regret for the occurrence of an oversight in election management, which should be meticulously handled above all else in a democratic republic.” This statement comes amidst reports of voter registration discrepancies in parts of Seoul during the elections.
Realmeter noted that the approval ratings for the President on June 4th (55.5%) and June 5th (51.8%) were lower than those recorded just before the election on June 1st (56.8%) and June 2nd (58.8%). This suggests that the election-day issues may have directly contributed to the subsequent drop in public approval.
