South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating edged up to 39 per cent this week, snapping a prolonged downward slide that had pushed it to a record low of 37 per cent in the two preceding surveys, according to a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday, 17 October 2026. The recovery, though modest, marks the first upward movement since a sustained decline began in late August.

Poll Findings at a Glance

The weekly survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday on a sample of 1,003 respondents aged 18 and older, showed positive assessments of Lee's performance rising by 2 percentage points week-on-week. However, disapproval also inched up — 52 per cent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with his handling of state affairs, a rise of 1 percentage point from the previous week. The survey carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.

What Is Driving Positive and Negative Sentiment

Among those who rated Lee's performance favourably, 20 per cent cited diplomacy as the primary reason, followed by economic and livelihood issues at 11 per cent. On the other side, critics pointed to real estate policies and broader economic and livelihood concerns as the main sources of dissatisfaction. The persistent grievance over real estate — a politically charged issue in South Korea given soaring urban housing costs — has remained a recurring drag on Lee's numbers since he took office.

Party Support and 2028 Election Outlook

Support for the ruling Democratic Party (DP) rose 1 percentage point to 36 per cent, recovering from what had been its lowest figure since the launch of Lee's administration. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) also gained 1 percentage point, reaching 27 per cent.

Looking ahead to the 2028 general elections, 47 per cent of respondents said they preferred more opposition candidates to be elected to provide a check on the government, while 34 per cent favoured a stronger DP presence to support Lee's agenda. Notably, this preference for opposition dominance held across most age groups — except those in their 40s and 50s, where DP support stood at 50 per cent and 48 per cent respectively.

Lee Calls for Constitutional Reform

Separately on Friday, President Lee used a ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Busan-Masan pro-democracy protests — also known as the Buma uprising — to call on the National Assembly to initiate constitutional revision talks. The protests were a pivotal challenge to the dictatorship of then-President Park Chung-hee.

'Reflecting the Buma democratisation uprising and the Gwangju democratisation movement in the preamble to the Constitution is the smallest measure we need to not forget the blood-stained history of defending South Korea's democracy and people's sovereignty,' Lee said at the ceremony.

He added: 'On this occasion, I once again request that the National Assembly begin gathering public opinions and holding reasonable discussions on constitutional reform.' The call signals that constitutional change is emerging as a significant political priority for Lee's administration, even as his approval numbers remain under pressure.

What to Watch Next

With disapproval still above 50 per cent and the opposition holding a commanding lead in 2028 election preferences, Lee's administration faces continued headwinds. Whether the slight approval recovery translates into a sustained trend will depend heavily on progress — or the lack of it — on real estate reform and economic management in the coming weeks.