South Korean president’s approval rating drops below 50% for first time

President Lee Jae-myung’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest point since he took office, dipping below 50% for the first time on a daily basis.

According to polling agency Realmeter, 51.1% of 2,003 respondents aged 18 and over viewed his performance positively in the week of August 11–14, down 5.4 percentage points from the previous week. Meanwhile, disapproval ratings rose sharply to 44.5%, marking a 6.3 percentage-point increase.

The approval rating saw a notable drop on August 14, hitting 48.3%—the first time it has fallen below the 50% threshold. On August 12, it was at 54.3%, and on August 13, following flood damage in the capital region, it slid to 53.3%.

Analysts link the decline to multiple controversies, including the Liberation Day special pardon granted to former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and internal confusion over the government's capital gains tax policy on stock transfers.

“Policies centered on the strong support base of the Democratic Party have led to the alienation of moderate voters,” a Realmeter official said. “Regionally, the decline was particularly pronounced in areas severely affected by the heavy rainfall, such as Incheon, Gyeonggi, Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungcheong, which may have been influenced by evaluations of disaster response.”

Support among younger and middle-aged voters is also weakening. In the 20s age group, approval dropped from 43.5% to 34.4%, with disapproval peaking at 59%, the highest across age brackets. Approval among voters in their 30s fell to 49.1%, while in the 40s and 50s demographics—traditionally core supporters—ratings declined from 70% to 63%, and from 66% to 59.2%, respectively.

The ‘2030’ cohort was especially affected by the Cho Kuk pardon, which they viewed as unjust. Meanwhile, discontent among the ‘4050’ group stemmed largely from tax policy changes. “If there are missteps in stock and real estate policies, the ‘4050’ generation, sensitive to economic issues, could turn away,” noted a People Power Party spokesperson.

Party support also shifted significantly. The Democratic Party’s backing dropped 8.5 points to 39.9%, while the People Power Party gained 6.4 points, reaching 36.7%.

By Vafa Guliyeva