[E-Daily Reporter KWON HYE-ME ] A public opinion poll revealed that President Lee Jae-myung’s approval rating for his handling of state affairs stood at 32.1%. Notably, by age group, the approval rating among those in their 30s was the lowest at 21.3%.

On the 21st, Han Gil Research, commissioned by Cookie News, surveyed 1,019 men and women nationwide aged 18 and older from the 17th to the 19th regarding their evaluation of President Lee’s performance in office. The results showed that 32.1% gave a “positive evaluation,” while 66.1% gave a “negative evaluation.” 1.9% responded “don’t know.”

Compared to the previous survey, the “positive rating” fell by 3.6 percentage points, while the “negative rating” rose by 3.5 percentage points. The gap between positive and negative ratings widened from 26.9 percentage points to 34.0 percentage points.

Looking at recent trends, the “positive rating” fell from 45.7% on August 1–3 to 37.3% on August 30–31. It then stood at 36.4% on September 5–7, 35.8% on September 27–28, and 35.7% on October 5–6, before dropping to 32.1% in this latest survey.

By age group, negative evaluations were highest among those in their 30s at 77.2%. Positive evaluations stood at just 21.3%, the lowest among all age groups. Among those aged 18–20, negative evaluations were 70.0% and positive evaluations were 29.2%.

Among those in their 40s, positive ratings were the highest among all age groups at 40.4%. Negative ratings stood at 58.0%. For those in their 50s, positive ratings were 33.9% and negative ratings 64.8%; for those in their 60s, positive ratings were 32.7% and negative ratings 65.5%; and for those aged 70 and older, positive ratings were 33.3% and negative ratings 62.5%.

By region, negative evaluations were highest in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province at 79.5 percent, while positive evaluations stood at 19.2 percent. In Gangwon and Jeju, negative evaluations were 70.2 percent and positive evaluations 25.2 percent; in Seoul, negative evaluations were 69.2 percent and positive evaluations 27.7 percent; and in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, negative evaluations were 68.3 percent and positive evaluations 31.0 percent.

In Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang, negative ratings stood at 65.7% and positive ratings at 31.6%, while in the Chungcheong region, negative ratings were 65.2% and positive ratings 33.1%. In contrast, in the Honam region, positive ratings (59.4%) exceeded negative ratings (38.5%). It was the only region among the seven nationwide regions where positive ratings accounted for a majority.

Regarding the reasons for the recent decline in the President’s approval rating, the most common response—at 40.6%—was “because the President’s realistic approach to national security and diplomacy, as well as his pragmatic approach to the people’s livelihoods and the economy, have regressed.” This was followed by “other” at 33.1%, “because he has not pushed harder for reforms such as prosecutorial reform advocated by the reformist faction of the Democratic Party” at 19.7%, and “don’t know” at 6.6%.

Meanwhile, this survey was conducted using a landline and mobile RDD ARS method (landline: 2.0%, mobile: 98.0%). The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For more details, please refer to the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.