South Korea's Lee Jae Myung approval rating drops below 50% for first time
Synopsis
For the first time since taking office, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has fallen below 50% approval — and the real estate policy numbers are even grimmer. With 56% saying the government is mishandling housing and 55% expecting rental prices to rise under its own tax revision plan, the administration faces a credibility gap on the issue that matters most to ordinary South Koreans.
Key Takeaways
President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell to 49 per cent — the lowest since his inauguration — in a poll released on 13 August 2025 .
Disapproval rose 6 percentage points to 43 per cent , narrowing the gap to just 6 points .
56 per cent of respondents rated the government's real estate policies as poor; only 34 per cent gave positive marks.
55 per cent expect the government's property tax revision plan to push up jeonse and monthly rental prices.
The ruling Democratic Party held steady at 40 per cent support; the opposition People Power Party rose 2 points to 23 per cent .
President Lee opened the National Fire Hospital in Eumseong on Tuesday, the country's first hospital dedicated to first responders.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has fallen to its lowest point since he took office, slipping below the 50 per cent mark for the first time in a biweekly survey, according to a poll released on Thursday, 13 August 2025. The National Barometer Survey, conducted from Monday to Wednesday, recorded his approval at 49 per cent — a drop of 4 percentage points from the previous poll two weeks earlier.
Key Poll Findings
Disapproval of President Lee's performance rose by 6 percentage points to reach 43 per cent, narrowing the gap between approval and disapproval to just 6 points. The slide marks a notable inflection point for a leader who had maintained majority approval since his inauguration.
On the government's real estate policies, the poll delivered a sharper verdict: 56 per cent of respondents said the current administration was doing a poor job managing housing, while only 34 per cent gave positive assessments.
Property Tax Revision Plan Divides Opinion
The survey also gauged public sentiment on the government's recently unveiled property tax revision plan. A slim majority — 46 per cent — expressed support for the plan, compared with 41 per cent who opposed it. However, when asked about the plan's likely impact, 55 per cent of respondents expected it to drive up both jeonse and monthly rental prices, while 27 per cent anticipated little change and just 8 per cent predicted a decline in rental costs.
Jeonse is a distinctive South Korean housing arrangement in which tenants pay a large lump-sum deposit — often equivalent to a significant share of the property's value — that is returned in full at the end of the lease period, rather than paying monthly rent.
Party Support Standings
Support for the ruling Democratic Party (DP) held steady at 40 per cent, unchanged from the previous survey. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) gained ground, rising 2 percentage points to 23 per cent. The DP maintained higher support than the PPP across all age groups except those in their 20s and younger, and led in all regions except the southeastern city of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.
Lee Opens First Responder Hospital Amid Rating Dip
The poll results coincided with a symbolic public appearance by President Lee on Tuesday, when he attended the inauguration ceremony of the country's first hospital dedicated to treating first responders. The National Fire Hospital, located in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, began operations in June and provides healthcare to firefighters, police officers, and their family members, as well as local residents.
'The primary duty of the state is to protect its people's lives and safety,' Lee said in his address at the ceremony, underscoring what he called the frontline role of firefighters in enabling citizens to 'go about their daily lives safely and peacefully.' He pledged continued government support and investment, describing the facility as a future regional public health hub for North Chungcheong Province.
With real estate dissatisfaction running high and the approval gap narrowing, the coming weeks will test whether the Lee administration can reverse the slide before the next survey cycle.
Point of View
But the more telling number is the 56% who say the government is mishandling real estate — South Korea's perennial political fault line. The property tax revision plan is particularly double-edged: it has slim majority support in principle, yet 55% expect it to raise rental prices, which means public backing could evaporate the moment tenants feel the squeeze. Lee's inauguration of the National Fire Hospital the same week signals an attempt to pivot to public-service optics, but housing affordability is not a story that ceremony can easily displace.
NationPress
13 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lee Jae Myung's current approval rating?
As of the National Barometer Survey conducted from Monday to Wednesday this week, President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating stands at 49 per cent — the lowest since his inauguration and the first time it has fallen below 50 per cent in the biweekly poll. Disapproval has risen to 43 per cent.
Why has Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fallen?
The poll points to widespread dissatisfaction with the government's real estate policies, with 56 per cent of respondents rating them as poor. Concerns over the property tax revision plan — with 55 per cent expecting it to raise jeonse and rental prices — appear to be a key driver of the slide.
What is the jeonse system and why does it matter to this story?
Jeonse is a uniquely South Korean housing arrangement in which tenants pay a large lump-sum deposit — returned in full at the end of the lease — instead of monthly rent. It is a central feature of South Korea's housing market, making any government policy that affects jeonse prices politically sensitive.
How does party support stand in the latest poll?
The ruling Democratic Party held steady at 40 per cent support, unchanged from the previous survey. The main opposition People Power Party gained 2 percentage points to reach 23 per cent. The DP led across all regions except Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.
What is the National Fire Hospital that President Lee inaugurated?
The National Fire Hospital in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, is South Korea's first general hospital dedicated to treating firefighters, police officers, and other first responders, along with their families and local residents. It began operations in June and will also serve as a regional public health hub.
