# South Korean President's Approval Rating Drops to 35.9 Percent Realmeter poll reveals decline amid political gridlock and financial market instability. - **Source:** [Maeil Business](https://www.mk.co.kr) - **Published:** 2026-11-08 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/b5e03901-a671-463f-9057-88b86567485a ## Approval Rating Decline President Lee Jae-myung saw his approval rating fall to 35.9 percent, marking a 1.0 percentage point decrease from the previous week. Conversely, negative assessments of his administration rose by 0.5 percentage points, reaching 60.6 percent. The survey, conducted by Realmeter, reflects growing public dissatisfaction with current state affairs. ## Market and Political Factors Analysts attribute the dip to intense legislative clashes over the special prosecutor bill and significant financial instability. The collapse of the KOSPI 5000 index and concerns regarding national pension losses have exacerbated public anxiety. These combined economic and political pressures appear to be directly impacting the president's overall support levels. ## Party Support Dynamics In the latest party preference survey, the People Power Party leads with 39.7 percent, while the Democratic Party follows at 36.5 percent. The gap between the two major parties stands at 3.2 percentage points, remaining within the statistical margin of error. Both parties experienced slight declines in their respective support bases. ## Democratic Party Challenges The Democratic Party's 1.8 percentage point drop is linked to internal conflicts regarding merger theories and leadership responsibility. Controversies surrounding alleged group affiliations and the aggressive push for the special prosecutor bill have further alienated some voters. These internal frictions continue to hinder the party's ability to maintain stable support. ## People Power Party Struggles The People Power Party also saw a minor decline, settling at 39.7 percent support. Their aggressive stance, including filibusters and outdoor protests against the special prosecutor bill, has highlighted internal divisions. Additionally, debates over Han Dong-hoon’s return and conservative integration efforts have contributed to the party's slight downward trend. ## Survey Methodology Details The presidential approval survey involved 2,528 voters aged 18 and older, conducted between November 2 and 6. It maintains a 95 percent confidence level with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points. The party support survey sampled 1,006 individuals with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. ## Broader Political Context The current political environment in South Korea is defined by extreme legislative confrontation and public scrutiny of financial management. As the ruling and opposition parties remain locked in disputes, the electorate shows signs of fatigue. The high percentage of negative sentiment suggests a challenging period ahead for the current administration's policy agenda. ## Future Political Outlook Moving forward, the stability of the financial markets and the resolution of legislative deadlocks will be critical for political recovery. With the gap between major parties remaining narrow, both sides face pressure to address internal conflicts. Observers are monitoring whether these trends will persist or if new developments will shift sentiment. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.mk.co.kr/news/politics/12202003 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._