South Korean president's approval falls for sixth week
· UPIJune 29 (Asia Today) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell for a sixth consecutive week to 46.5%, a poll released Monday showed.
Realmeter surveyed 2,502 adults nationwide from Monday through Friday for the EKN newspaper.
Positive assessments of Lee's performance declined 0.2 percentage point from the previous week. Negative assessments also fell 0.2 percentage point to 49.5%, while 4% of respondents said they were unsure.
Lee's approval rating has declined for six consecutive weeks since the fourth week of April.
Realmeter attributed the continued decline to the prolonged controversy over the National Election Commission's handling of ballot papers and growing public distrust over economic conditions.
The polling company said political disputes over the government's plan to abolish prosecutors' authority to conduct supplementary investigations and semiconductor investment in the southwestern Honam region also affected the results.
By region, Lee's approval rating in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province fell 4.3 percentage points to 43.2%, the largest regional decline.
Among respondents ages 70 and older, approval fell 1.7 percentage points to 45%. Support among people in their 40s declined 1.3 percentage points to 56.9%.
In a separate Realmeter survey on party support, the ruling Democratic Party received 41%, up 0.9 percentage point from the previous week.
The main opposition People Power Party received 42%, down 0.3 percentage point.
The Rebuilding Korea Party recorded 3.7%, followed by the Reform Party at 2.8% and the Progressive Party at 1.5%. Respondents who supported no party accounted for 6.9%.
Realmeter said the Democratic Party gained support as debate over investment in a semiconductor cluster in the Honam region helped consolidate backing among voters in Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces and among people in their 40s.
The presidential approval survey was conducted through automated calls to wireless telephone numbers. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 4.1%.
The party support survey was conducted Thursday and Friday among 1,002 adults. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 3.4%.
Additional details are available from South Korea's National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260629010009998