Lead

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rebounded last week after dipping to its lowest level since his inauguration, according to a Gallup Korea poll. The survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday on 1,005 people aged 18 and older, showed 54 percent approved of Lee's performance, up 3 percentage points from the previous week. The uptick came after the president's rating had fallen to its lowest point in late June, as reported by Yonhap News.

Coverage comparison

Two separate Gallup Korea surveys, both reported by Yonhap News, show contrasting movements in Lee's approval rating. In the first survey, conducted July 3, 54 percent approved of Lee's management of state affairs, up 3 percentage points from a week earlier. In the second survey, conducted July 10, approval dipped to 53 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous week. The second survey noted that Lee's rating had rebounded to 54 percent in the earlier survey after hitting its lowest level in late June.

While both surveys cited economic concerns as the most common reason for positive evaluations, the July 3 poll recorded a higher share—24 percent—attributing positive ratings to Lee's handling of the economy and people's livelihoods, compared with 19 percent in the July 10 survey. Diplomacy and overall performance were other frequently cited reasons in both surveys. The July 3 poll also noted that economic issues accounted for a larger share of reasons than a week earlier, while 'balanced regional development' was newly mentioned in both positive and negative evaluations.

Disapproval ratings also shifted between the two polls. In the July 3 survey, 36 percent disapproved of Lee's performance, down 5 percentage points from a week earlier. In the July 10 survey, 35 percent disapproved, down 1 percentage point from the previous week. Both polls had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Key claims

  • In a Gallup Korea survey conducted from July 7-9, 2026, 54 percent of respondents approved of President Lee Jae Myung's performance, up 3 percentage points from a week earlier. The pollster partly attributed this rise to the government's 'three mega projects' initiative.
  • In a subsequent Gallup Korea survey conducted from July 14-16, 2026, approval declined to 53 percent, down 1 percentage point. Gallup did not provide a reason for the decline, but respondents most frequently cited concerns over the economy, people's livelihoods, and the foreign exchange rate as reasons for negative assessments, at 21 percent.
  • In the July 10 survey, 57 percent of respondents said the 'three mega projects' initiative was expected to contribute to balanced regional development, while 26 percent said it would widen regional disparities.
  • The 'three mega projects' initiative calls for large-scale investments by chip giants Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., as well as other companies, in semiconductors, physical artificial intelligence, and AI data centers.
  • In the July 3 survey, the ruling Democratic Party's approval remained unchanged at 41 percent for the third consecutive week, while the main opposition People Power Party's approval dropped 1 percentage point to 26 percent. In the July 10 survey, the Democratic Party's approval rose 1 percentage point to 42 percent, and the People Power Party's approval dropped 2 percentage points to 24 percent.