President Lee’s approval rating, disapproval overtakes approval for the first time since taking office

For the first time since taking office, negative evaluations of President Lee Jaemyung's performance in state affairs have been shown to surpass positive ones. According to a survey of 2,517 adults nationwide conducted by Realmeter from the 15th to the 19th at the request of Energy Economic Daily, positive evaluations came in at 46.7%, while negative evaluations stood at 49.7%. Within the ruling party, there is an interpretation that the recent drop in approval ratings was driven by a combination of factors, including conflicts between the party and the presidential office, intraparty conflict, criticism over poor election management, and dissatisfaction with real estate policy. In particular, some also pointed to the view that public sentiment had been shaken as the race for party leadership intensified ahead of the August party convention. The presidential office said it views the latest result as an assessment of livelihoods and the economy, as well as state affairs overall, and stated that it would pay closer attention to what the people are concerned about and hope for. Some within the ruling party also said that, in order to rebound in approval ratings, the public sentiment revealed in the local elections must be quickly reflected in policy.