NBS poll puts Lee's approval at 44% as South Korea's party gap narrows
In short
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's approval stood at 44% and disapproval at 49% in an NBS poll released on October 15. Support for the Democratic Party was 33% against 28% for the People Power Party, halving their gap from the previous survey.
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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's job approval was 44% in a National Barometer Survey released on October 15, one percentage point higher than in the poll two weeks earlier. Disapproval fell one point to 49%, while 7% did not know or did not answer, according to Dong-A Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun. Yonhap and other outlets reported the same approval and disapproval figures. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
Support for the Democratic Party fell two percentage points to 33%, while the People Power Party gained three points to reach 28%. The gap between them narrowed from 10 points to five. Yonhap reported that the Democratic Party's support was its lowest in NBS polling since the current government took office. The poll also recorded 47% saying they trusted Lee's administration of state affairs and 48% saying they did not, according to Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily. [ 4 , 5 ]
On the recent mine explosion in the demilitarised zone, 65% of respondents said the government should respond firmly to North Korea, while 32% favoured lowering inter-Korean military tensions. On economic questions, 52% preferred using excess tax revenue to repay national debt and reduce the fiscal burden, while 46% favoured a separate fund for future-industry investment and crisis preparation. Seoul Economic Daily also reported that 59% expected rents and housing-lease prices in their area to rise over the following year. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]
The telephone survey covered 1,000 adults aged 18 or older using mobile-phone virtual numbers. It reported a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 16.8%. The source accounts disagree on fieldwork dates: several say October 12–14, Yonhap says October 12–13, and Kyunghyang Shinmun says September 12–14. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The Democratic Party's support fell to its lowest NBS reading since the current government took office, according to Yonhap. The survey also found 65% favoured a firm response to North Korea over a recent DMZ mine explosion, against 32% who favoured reducing military tensions.
Key facts
- Lee's approval rose one percentage point to 44%, while disapproval fell one point to 49% from the previous survey. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Democratic Party support fell two points to 33%, while People Power Party support rose three points to 28%. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The telephone poll surveyed 1,000 adults and reported a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at 95% confidence, with a 16.8% response rate. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The precise fieldwork dates. Several outlets give October 12–14; Yonhap and others give October 12–13, while Kyunghyang Shinmun says September 12–14.