Lee's approval rating tops 40% for 1st time since late Aug.: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose slightly to 41 percent, a poll showed Friday, marking the first time in over two months that the figure exceeded 40 percent.

The survey, conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,001 people aged 18 and older, showed that positive assessments of Lee's performance rose 2 percentage points from a week earlier.

Negative assessments also rose 1 percentage point to 50 percent.

Lee's approval rating last exceeded 40 percent in the last week of August, when it stood at 42 percent. After weeks of decline, the figure returned to 40 percent in the fourth week of October before slipping to 39 percent last week.

Gallup assessed that Lee's approval rating has remained "largely unchanged" over the past three weeks despite the latest increase.

Among those who positively assessed Lee's performance, 18 percent cited diplomacy, followed by economic and livelihood issues at 15 percent, and communication at 10 percent.

Real estate policies and economic concerns were among the main reasons cited by those who disapproved of Lee's performance at 19 percent and 13 percent, respectively. Eight percent cited concerns over security and policies on North Korea, while another 8 percent cited concerns over ethical issues and Lee's alleged attempt to "evade his trials."

Support for the ruling Democratic Party rose 1 percentage point to 36 percent after hitting the lowest level under the Lee administration in the previous poll.

The approval rating for the main opposition People Power Party fell 2 percentage points to 28 percent.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. (Yonhap)